Daniel Cormier explains why Calvin Kattar "missed an opportunity" after beating Giga Chikadze
Daniel Cormier believes Calvin Kattar missed a potential opportunity to call out fellow featherweights after his impeccable victory against Giga Chikadze at UFC Vegas 46.
'DC' recalled how fighters such as Chael Sonnen and, more recently, Michael Chandler made statements on the mic after their bouts, successfully securing their dream matchups.
According to Cormier:
"I, for a long time, have an issue with guys for not taking the initiative [on the mic]... Chael Sonnen was a master grabbing the mic and making a statement. I always had something planned. Michael Chandler, when he beat Dan Hooker, had something planned, right? In those moments, you'll never have more eyes on you than in that moment, in the middle of the octagon, you got to call your shot, you have to set yourself up for the next thing. I do believe that Calvin Kattar missed an opportunity. But I think when you're on the receiving end of the beating that he took in his last fight, you're almost relieved to come back and get a victory..."
Watch the full episode of DC & RC here:
Calvin Kattar put on a scintillating performance against Giga Chikadze at UFC Vegas 46. 'The Boston Finisher' successfully pressured Chikadze for the majority of the fight.
Kattar's relentless pressure and voluminous output saw him fight his way to a unanimous decision against the Georgian.
Before Chikadze, Kattar fought Max Holloway back in January 2021. The 33-year-old suffered a devastating loss to the Hawaiian. However, after his recent lopsided victory, 'The Boston Finisher' can hope for some high profile matchups ahead.
Calvin Kattar responds to Giga Chikadze saying he'd beat him 9 out of 10 times
Giga Chikadze recently took to Instagram Live to claim he would defeat Calvin Kattar nine times out of 10.
While speaking on The MMA Hour, 'The Boston Finisher' was asked by Ariel Helwani what he thought of his opponent's statement following their recent showdown.
Kattar responded to Chikadze with humility and class, wishing the Georgian a speedy recovery.
"It's different when you hear people in person in interviews but I don't take it personally man, it's whatever," said Kattar. "I wish him a speedy recovery, bounce back. I told him all you can do now is make the next guy pay. That's exactly what I did and hopefully he responds to the loss well. It doesn't sound like it's going that way early but hopefully he just understands that... Honestly, he can understand whatever he wants. For me, it just helped me to focus on the things I can control and focus on the comeback."
Watch Ariel Helwani's full interview with Calvin Kattar here: