Daniel Cormier names UFC’s five most significant people of 2024

“When was the final time you heard an government’s identify known as as many occasions as Hunter Campbell? He has developed a approach of referring to the athletes and their managers that makes fights that appear like they received’t occur, or can’t occur, come collectively. It was just a few years in the past that he took the lead on negotiations and all the pieces.

“I may even return to my final combat 4 years in the past. As a former champion, he known as, it was actually like that we had constructed a relationship during the last last years of my profession, that he known as, there have been two sentences, and it was, ‘We’re going to do that for DC. Similar as earlier than.’ And we had been carried out. No adverse. You then develop this appreciation for making the negotiations simple as a result of at occasions they are often so troublesome. However simply hearken to the quantity of fighters that not solely tip their cap to Dana White anymore, however to Hunter Campbell.”

“He nonetheless dominates the headlines and the world of sport, our sport, with out even preventing. The failed press convention (earlier than UFC 303). Everyone seems to be up in arms. They left from New Jersey to Eire, I’m speaking ESPN workers, huge wigs, to be at Conor’s press convention (in Dublin). They get there and no one is aware of what’s taking place as a result of Conor’s been injured. However they’re on standby. The entire world’s on standby. Michael Chandler is on standby. Then he has clearly the difficulty the with the court docket case, and, ‘I’m coming again. I’m not coming again. I’ve obtained a combat scheduled.’ There’s by no means been anybody that makes an impression like this, particularly when it’s been so lengthy since he’s competed.”

“Jon Jones is an enormous celebrity, and Ryan Clark put one thing in perspective for me the opposite day once we had a DC/RC reunion. He goes, ‘Think about the period of time that he has spent on the prime of the game. He has actually lived via three generations of fighters, and he’s nonetheless headlining Madison Sq. Backyard (at UFC 309).’ It was not solely that, although, that I say he made an impression. He made an impression as a result of he beat the best heavyweight of all time (in Stipe Miocic), and he made it look simple. He made an impression by saying he wasn’t going to combat Tom Aspinall, by dragging him alongside. Simply continually controlling the narrative, and all people adopted that narrative. I’ve obtained Jon Jones at No. 3 due to that. To have the ability to actually management nearly all the sport and be doing it 13 years within the recreation. It’s unimaginable to see.”

“From saving UFC 300 to saving UFC 303 to preventing in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah (at UFC 307), in what was an absolute barnburner in opposition to Khalil Rountree, and his capacity to do what he’s carried out with the fashion that he has – no one can wrestle him. He’s making these guys combat him within the fashion that solely he can win at. Recreating himself as a light-weight heavyweight after getting knocked out by (Israel Adesanya), by no means giving up on the concept that he could return to 185. And this man is being mentioned to be one of many best of all time, and he’s actually an newbie. He’s obtained 11 professional fights. He’s obtained 11 or 12 professional fights in his (MMA) profession. And he’s speaking about possibly he can go to heavyweight and turn out to be a three-division champion.

“There is no such thing as a yet another impactful in time period of a fighter, in relation to 2024, than Alex Pereira. As a result of not solely did he step up – keep in mind him dancing within the locker room earlier than he went and kicked Jiri (Prochazka) within the head after watching Jiri do one thing, a mistake that he was making over and over (in his heat up)? After which doing that factor along with his hand to Jamahal Hill along with his hand when he knocked him out. I don’t even know what that’s, however it turned some of the international issues of all time.”

“For so long as we’ve carried out this, it’s Dana White. It actually has. It has been Dana White, simply because he continues to push the boundaries of what the game is. He continues to be the chief in so many various issues. I’ve seen another guys begin to step in. Clearly Lawrence Epstein is an enormous a part of all the pieces UFC does, however from negotiating to simply actually making an attempt to proceed to make the UFC greater. I don’t suppose I ever knew if the UFC may attain the extent of what it’s in the present day and the way it’s seen. But it surely doesn’t occur with out Dana and his imaginative and prescient, and what he needs for this firm. From the fixed journey, to actually being a part of the Presidential Election, to (even) Energy Slap has turn out to be a factor now. Opening up Saudi Arabia.

“There’s simply so many various issues that he’s carried out to proceed to raise the game. Then going into this subsequent tv rights deal, it’s going to be even greater. And none of that occurs with out the man who’s on the forefront. He is usually a bit bullish at occasions. However that’s what could make him particular.”

To listen to extra from Cormier, take a look at his full look above on “The Bohnfire” podcast, hosted by MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.