Jon Anik leaves Daniel Cormier out of his all-time top 5 list in front of DC himself
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier was left out of fellow commentator Jon Anik's list of the top 5 greatest fighters of all time.
Cormier and Anik, along with UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa, hopped on the ESPN+ post-fight show for UFC 254 to discuss the legacy of UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'The Eagle' had just retired after submitting Justin Gaethje to successfully defend his title in the main event of the UFC’s final trip to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Cormier and Chiesa had a lot of common names on their lists, including Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Amanda Nunes, and Cormier himself. The two also had a common snub, so to speak, in former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.
On his list, Anik did have Jones, along with Nurmagomedov, GSP, Nunes, and Anderson Silva. The veteran UFC commentator ended up leaving out Cormier, who was sat right next to him.
To dig the knife a little deeper into Daniel Cormier's side, Anik ranked Jones - who has been a long-time rival of DC - at the top.
“Boy, you love guys that have bad (drug) tests, I don’t know what’s gonna come out on Jon Anik later. I mean, he’s got Anderson Silva and Jon Jones on this list!” Cormier said to Anik in jest.
To his credit, Anik stuck to his guns and stood firm on his decisions.
“The most skilled, best fighter that I’ve ever seen in UFC history is Jon Jones. That’s my list, and I’m sticking to it,” Anik stated.
It was indeed a light-hearted moment between the two following what was an emotional conclusion to UFC 254.
Daniel Cormier pays tribute to teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov
Former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier paid tribute to friend and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov on social media.
Nurmagomedov, the UFC’s reigning lightweight champion, announced his retirement following his second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
On Twitter, Cormier had some kind words for the man he considers the greatest champion in UFC history. Cormier and Nurmagomedov both train out of the famed American Kickboxing Academy gym in San Jose, California.
“Congratulations to the greatest champion in @ufc history. What a career, we are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with you my brother. 29-0 undefeated and undisputed,” Cormier said.
Daniel Cormier himself recently called it a day following a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship back in August.