Daniel Cormier defends Alexander Volkanovski retaining the pound for pound No.1 ranking
Daniel Cormier weighed in on Alexander Volkanovski retaining his No.1 sport in the pound-for-pound rankings despite losing to Islam Makhachev this past Saturday at UFC 284.
Cormier uploaded a video to his YouTube channel, where he discussed the recent superfight and Makhachev's reaction to the rankings remaining the same. He mentioned that he wasn't upset about it and felt that 'Volk' deserves to retain his ranking even in defeat.
He said:
"In this case, with him [Islam Makhahcev] and [Alexander] Volkanovski staying one, as much as I love him [Makhahcev] - he's my buddy, I care for him tremendously - but did 'Volk' not show us last weekend what pound-for-pound is?" [6:11 - 6:27]
'DC' also brought up that the reigning featherweight champion showed what it means to truly be a pound-for-pound fighter. He mentioned that his fighting style suits him well at 155lbs and that there wouldn't be many lightweights that 'Volk' would be an underdog against, saying:
"Pound-for-pound is supposed to be a display of skill that will translate multiple weight-divisions. Alexander Volkanovski was the guy going up last weekend. Lost the fight but he showed that his style translates and can work at 155[lbs]. And if it wasn't Islam Makhachev, who else would you have favored to beat Alexander Volkanovski on that night? You can't say many."
Cormier breaking down the pound-for-pound criteria does help clarify why Volkanovski would retain his ranking. 'Volk' moved up to 155lbs and silenced the doubters that had the lightweight champion as a heavy favorite on the betting lines.
Check out the full video below:
Daniel Cormier praises Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski for an entertaining superfight
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Daniel Cormier had a lot of praise for Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski for their entertaining main event at UFC 284. The bout saw Volkanovski move up from 145lbs in an attempt to achieve champ-champ status.
In the aforementioned video uploaded to Cormier's channel, the UFC Hall of Famer mentioned that Makhachev vs. 'Volk' was unlike the other champion vs. champion bouts in the past. He brought up that the main event was everything fans could've hoped for, saying:
"I also understand that after watching the fight, it was a fun, competitive fight that was great for the sport and all the fans. This is all we've ever wanted in a superfight. This fight was everything we could've hoped for in a champion vs. champion matchup." [7:51 - 8:10]
It remains to be seen whether the UFC will book an immediate rematch, especially considering how their bout was so closely contested and there is a lot of debate surrounding the decision.