Daniel Cormier has praised Conor McGregor for making his opponents famous.
Cormier pondered on what “The Notorious” has done in the sport as the 10-year anniversary of McGregor’s UFC debut approaches, pointing to the record-breaking numbers he’s drawn as a celebrity.
Yet, Cormier acknowledged the good impact McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has had on his opponents, particularly following losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.
“He has elevated two of my best friends. Two of the guys that I love, that I appreciate in this sport more than anyone. He has elevated Khabib to a megastar, and he has elevated Dustin Poirier to a level of stardom that Dustin never could’ve imagined getting before. So not only does he help himself, he helps the guys that he shares the octagon with – especially the ones that can beat him,” Cormier told on his ESPN Show.
He also addressed the quick KO from Conor McGregor against Jose Aldo.
“In the Aldo fight, for all we knew about Jose Aldo, the greatness, how annoyed he was with Conor McGregor – we thought he was going to punish the brash Irishman. And then he knocked him out in 14 (13) seconds and the world was turned on its’ access, and the world really became his in that night. On that night, it was Conor McGregor’s world,” he added.
McGregor is scheduled to return to the octagon later this year to face Michael Chandler, with whom he recently spent eight weeks coaching the Ultimate Fighter 31.
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