"The product did not match the expectation" - Daniel Cormier unimpressed with the "theatrics" during subpar Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson fight
Daniel Cormier did not like the "theatrics" displayed during the UFC 279 main-event clash between Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson. According to the former UFC double champion, the two veterans put on an underwhelming performance.
Cormier noted that Tony Ferguson turned his back on Diaz multiple times to employ unsuccessful and desperate spinning attacks. As for Diaz, 'DC' was confused to see the Stockton native shake his head while holding the octagon at one point during the fight. The 43-year-old said on The DC & RC Show:
"We were very excited once we got to where we got to. The product did not match the expectation... I'm not being unjust by saying that... A lot of the theatrics that happened inside the octagon were mixed in between some fighting that we've not come to know these guys fight at that level. Tony turned his back on multiple occasions. He would over swing as he was trying to throw elbows, end up running away from Nate. Nate, for his part, at one point walked to the side of the octagon shaking his head, no. Ryan, I thought he was quitting."
During the contest, both fighters seemed far from their prime form. On many occasions, Diaz and Ferguson seemed to be gassed out and fatigued. However, the Stockton native did manage to secure a fourth-round submission victory in what was his last fight in the promotion.
Watch The DC & RC Show below:
"It was just a lot of having fun" - Tony Ferguson weighs in on the Nate Diaz fight
Daniel Cormier isn't the only fighter to have found the UFC 279 headliner slightly out of place. Several UFC fighters found the main-event clash weird, with Nate Diaz holding his knees on multiple occasions while Tony Ferguson made desperate spinning attacks much to his corner's chagrin.
However, 'El Cucuy', who suffered a fourth-round submission loss, was seemingly having a lot of fun inside the octagon. Ferguson even hoped that the audience would be impressed by their shenanigans inside the octagon.
According to the former interim lightweight champion, the Diaz fight was one of a kind in his entire career. The 38-year-old said at the UFC 279 post-fight presser:
"We didn’t say nothing. I kicked him in the shin, he was like, ‘Owwww.’ You know what I mean?It was just a lot of having fun. I hope you guys had a lot of fun. I haven’t had a fight like that ever. It was the coolest experience I probably could have had being in front of everybody, being the most calm, super chill, bringing it out there."
Watch Tony Ferguson's appearance at the post-fight scrum below: