Daniel Cormier TV - DC REACTS to Israel Adesanya GETTING KNOCKED OUT by Nassourdine Imavov, END of title run

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode Title: Daniel Cormier TV - DC REACTS to Israel Adesanya GETTING KNOCKED OUT by Nassourdine Imavov, END of title run
Release Date: February 5, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Duration: Approximately 16 minutes

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1. Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the spotlight is on former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier (DC). The episode delves into DC's reaction to the shocking knockout of renowned middleweight champion Israel Adesanya by Nassourdine Imavov. This pivotal moment marks the end of Adesanya's illustrious title run, prompting deep analysis and heartfelt reflections from DC.

2. Context and Background

Israel Adesanya, often hailed as one of the greatest middleweights in mixed martial arts (MMA) history, has been a dominant force in the UFC. His striking prowess, charismatic personality, and undefeated record made him a fan favorite and a formidable champion. However, in a surprising turn of events at UFC 312 in Australia, Nassourdine Imavov delivered a decisive knockout, ending Adesanya's reign.

3. DC's Reaction and Analysis

Emotional Impact and Respect for Adesanya:

DC begins by expressing his admiration for Adesanya, acknowledging his status as a legend and a future hall-of-famer. He states, “Adesanya's done with championship titles, but he’s not done as a fighter” (03:45), highlighting the distinction between Adesanya's role as a champion and his potential future in the sport.

Age and Physical Decline:

DC discusses the impact of aging on fighters, noting, “As you get older, you go down” (04:30). He emphasizes that reaction time and the ability to anticipate strikes diminish with age, which can lead to vulnerabilities even in the most skilled athletes.

Adesanya’s Fighting Style and Toughness:

Highlighting Adesanya's resilience, DC remarks, “Israel Adesanya was also very tough, and I think his toughness is what made him so fun for people to watch” (05:10). He praises Adesanya's ability to engage actively in fights, contrasting him with fighters who maintain a defensive, distance-based style.

Future Prospects for Adesanya:

DC speculates on Adesanya’s future, suggesting that while his time at the very top may be concluding, there remains a path forward for Adesanya to continue competing. He mentions potential matchups with fighters like Brendan Allen or moving up to fight Tyson Fury-like heavyweights for new challenges.

Fan and Fighter Relationship:

Reflecting on the emotional bond between fans and fighters, DC observes, “It sucks whenever you start to see those guys on the tail end” (12:15). He empathizes with fans who have idolized Adesanya, acknowledging the pain of seeing a beloved fighter face setbacks.

4. Notable Quotes with Attributions

• DC on Adesanya’s Championship Era Ending:

  “I believe that Israel is done fighting for titles. His time at the top is done.”
  (04:05)

• DC on Adesanya’s Continuation in MMA:

  “But I don't believe that Adesanya is done as a fighter. I think that he can still compete.”
  (04:50)

• DC on Adesanya’s Physical Attributes:

  “You truly do have a power bar in Adesanya. After a long kickboxing career, he never stopped throwing.”
  (06:20)

• DC Comparing Adesanya to Anderson Silva:

  “I remember when Anderson Silva was at the tail end of his career... It's similar to watching Adesanya now.”
  (10:35)

5. Key Discussions and Insights

• The Reality of Aging in Combat Sports: DC provides an insightful analysis of how aging affects fighters, particularly in high-speed, precision-dependent disciplines like MMA. He underscores the inevitability of physical decline and the importance of adapting one's fighting style accordingly.

• Legacy vs. Current Performance: The discussion navigates the balance between honoring Adesanya's legacy and critically assessing his recent performance. DC maintains a respectful tone, ensuring that his critique does not undermine Adesanya's achievements but rather offers a realistic perspective on his current standing.

• Marketability and Future Opportunities: DC touches upon the business side of MMA, noting that Adesanya remains a marketable asset despite the recent loss. He suggests that Adesanya can still draw significant pay-per-view numbers, indicating that his career is far from over even if his championship days may be waning.

• Emotional Connection with Fans: The conversation delves into the psychological impact on fans when a favored fighter experiences defeat. DC empathizes with fans' feelings of disappointment and the challenging nature of accepting changes in beloved athletes' careers.

6. Conclusion

In this thought-provoking episode, Daniel Cormier offers a balanced and nuanced reaction to Israel Adesanya's knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov. While acknowledging the end of Adesanya's dominant championship run, DC emphasizes that Adesanya still possesses the skills and heart to compete in the MMA arena. He encourages a respectful appreciation of Adesanya's contributions to the sport while realistically assessing the challenges that lie ahead due to aging and evolving competition. The episode serves as a heartfelt tribute to a fighter whose impact on MMA will be remembered, regardless of future outcomes in the octagon.

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Timestamps

• 03:43: DC begins his reaction to Adesanya's knockout loss.
• 04:05: Discusses the end of Adesanya's championship era.
• 04:30: Talks about the effects of aging on fighters.
• 04:50: Differentiates between Adesanya's championship prospects and his overall fighting capabilities.
• 05:10: Praises Adesanya's toughness and fighting style.
• 06:20: Highlights Adesanya's power and resilience.
• 10:35: Compares Adesanya’s situation to that of Anderson Silva’s late career.
• 12:15: Reflects on the emotional bond between fans and fighters.

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Speaker Attribution

• Daniel Cormier (DC): Former UFC champion and MMA analyst, providing his insights and reactions throughout the episode.
• Guest Speakers: The transcript primarily features DC; other speakers are part of promotional segments and are not involved in the main discussion.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a deep dive into the career trajectory of Israel Adesanya through the lens of one of MMA's most respected figures, Daniel Cormier. It balances respect and critical analysis, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the implications of Adesanya's latest fight and what it means for his future in the sport.

Transcript

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What's up guys? Start of a new week as I get ready to head out to Australia for the middleweight championship. I took the weekend to think a little bit about what I saw over the course of the weekend because when you think middleweight, you think Israel Adesanya. You know, Israel Adesanya has been for a long time one of the greatest middleweights we've seen. Israel Adesanya has been one of the best middleweights of all time and one of the most successful middleweights of all time. With all that being said, last weekend he got beat by Nasser Dina Mavoff and he got knocked out. And I want to kind of get into what's next for Izzy. How hard it is to see our favorites, our idols, the role models go down. Because you know that, you know, we say it in fighting all the time, fall, the time is undefeated. It kind of becomes a cool thing to say, but it's never more true than in mixed martial arts. You know, to rush to judgment, to rush to reaction is the thing that we do as people constantly. But I wanted to kind of really think about how I want to frame my words in regards to Adesanya. But at the end of the day, I think the words and the conclusion are going to be pretty similar to some that I've heard. I don't know that I feel as strongly as Michael Bisping in this regard. And Luis, you could throw this in the chat. I want Michael Bisping's chat, his quote about Adesanya. I don't feel as strongly as Bisping did. I think it was on MMA fighting, Luis, he said that Izzy's done. I want to read the exact quote, but he said that Izzy's done. He said his time at the top is done. Right. So maybe it's a little bit closer. I think he's done with championship. He said the biggest takeaway, that it's over. Bisping said Adesanya's reign as champion, I don't think we'll come again. I agree. I say that with the greatest of respect and I truly mean that. An original, an incredible fighter, a legend of the sport, a future hall of Famer, but his time at the top is done. I. I agree. Okay, so I take that back. I agree. I believe that Edison is done fighting for titles. But what I do not believe is that Adesanya is done as a fighter. I think that what I saw in round one was enough for me to believe that he could still compete. What I do believe though is that Israel Adesanya has earned the right to fight lesser competition right now, but also less rounds. Israel Adesanya has earned the right to be in a three round fight, a fight against someone that isn't on their way to a championship. Because you could say what you want about a mov off, this guy is on a short list of guys that could be in title contention. Truly, Truly. There would be no disappointment if after Nasser Dinamaov won last weekend, the next middleweight championship fight includes him. Granted, there's a Khamzat Chimaev guy out there that people believe should fight first, but if not Chimaev and they go, it's not Sardina Mavov. Nobody would be upset with the way that he has fought and the run that he is on. Adesanya has earned the right to fight someone that isn't quite on that trajectory. Maybe a Brendan Allen or somebody like that. And that's a tough fight. I'm not saying it's an easy fight. I'm just saying that he's earned the right to not be in a number one contenders fight right now. I know the ticket's big, the money he gets paid is a lot, so he has to be valuable. But he could fight on co main events and would still add value to a pay per view. He doesn't always have to be in those five round main events, but when you saw what he did last weekend, Saudi Arabia sold out Big gate. Now you know why Adesanya is still Being put in those positions. But in that first round, I saw enough to say he can still compete. He looked fast, he looks sharp. But it's not the speed that's gone from Adesanya. It's the ability to see things coming. That quickness, the vision. And when you get hit, as you get older, you go down. I swear, it's the craziest thing. You could get hit with something. And when you're young, when you're. I was 32, 31 when I started, they would hit me and I would just walk through it like the Terminator. But when I started turning 38, 39, guy would hit me with the same shot and I'd be like, damn, that one actually kind of hurt. You truly do have a power bar in Adesanya. After a long kickboxing career, after the wars that he had in mixed martial arts, the Kelvin Gastelum war, the Robert Whitaker fight, he never was for as good as he was. He was a guy that got in the fight. The Pereira knockout, he got in the fight. He wasn't some pretty fighter that was always on the outside not engaging. Israel Adesanya was also very tough, and I think his toughness is what made him so fun for people to watch. But he ain't done completely as a fighter. I think that at the top, he should be done. I think he should be asking to be done at the top right now for a reset. And if there is a guy that has the mental makeup to know, yeah, maybe I want to step back, maybe I need to do something a little different right now. It is Israel Adesanya. It is Adesanya. But I thought he looked pretty good in the first round, but I also don't know that that right hand that a mov off caught him with lands on him a year and a half, two, three years ago. I don't know that that punch gets there. I think as Izzy fades away, I think he turns, he rolls, he does something to get out of the way of that strike. But again, with age go the reflexes, the timing, the ability to see things coming. And when you're a guy like Adesanya that's so athletic, that's so gifted, when that starts to fade a little bit or the reaction time is like a half second slower, those punches get there. And then when you've relied on your toughness as much as he has, you start taking those shots, and you can't really do that forever. So, yes, I do believe Izzy needs to take a step back, but I don't Believe that he can't compete with any of these dudes by no stretch of the imagination. I think there are a lot of guys that he can compete with. I think there are a lot of guys that Adesanya still would be favored to beat. But it sucks, right? Because we have all these favorites. We have all these people that we are tied to and attached to. And with their success, the bond between fan and fighter, fan and athlete just continues to grow. And it sucks whenever you start to see those guys on the tail end. Demetrius Johnson, I saw his reaction was classic. Get up, nigga. Like, get up, Izzy. He was so. It was so natural to see that reaction because that reaction was shared by so many because of what Adesanya had become and has become to the fight world. In the fight game and to fans all around the world, young kids idolized the style. Bender, he was a guy that was a world champion that watched Naruto and dance and then all those cool things that the kids did. That's what made him so relatable. That's why they all love him. So the reaction to him slowing down is what you expect. You know, when you have beaten so many guys, it's hard to find guys for you to fight. He's already beat Cannonier. He's already beat Strickland. Or, sorry, he lost to Strickland. He's already beat Paulo Costa. I need new matchups for Adesanya. That's why I said a ba because Brendan Allen got beat by a mov off last time, right? So he needs to kind of build back. If he could beat Izzy, he's right back. But if Izzy beats him now, Izzy has beaten a young, viable challenger. A guy that does have a ton of skill and a guy that had been on a run. Now he's right back where he's at least starting to work his way back into contention. I just think that Izz needs to be done right now with the very top. No. Time is not on his side. But I do believe that there's still an opportunity that at some point he could work his way back there. Shire Bullet might be another guy that might make for a fun fight. There's a lot of different people that he could fight that I think would be fun. Char bullets at 170 though. But to move up and fight him would be a very, very fun fight between the two. Adesanya's done at the top right now. Yes, I do agree with you, Mikey, but I don't believe he's done as a fighter. I think he needs to take some time, refresh, get his mind right, and then jump right back in there. Because there's going to be a time where we don't have the Style Bender, and that's going to suck even worse than watching the Style Bender lose. Because right now, we're still at least getting to watch the Style Bender. I remember when Anderson Silva was at the tail end of his career and everybody's like, Anderson needs to go away. Does it, does it feel better now that you don't get to watch him fight at all? That's the question. Enjoy these guys while they're here, because when they're gone, they're gone. And I know it'll be a hard time for a lot of fans when Israel Adesanya is no longer an active fighter. So rest, my brother. Take some time, Izzy, and then we'll see you when you get back in the octagon. But don't lose faith. I mean, you've done so many great things in your career. You can walk away today and be a first ballot hall of Famer. So keep your head up, champ. Guys, until next time, like, subscribe, tell your friends about my YouTube channel. This week, big check ins. We got Sean Strickland, we got Dracus Du Plessis, I'm sitting out with Zhang Wei Lee, and I'm also sitting out with Tatiana Suarez as she gets ready for her first UFC title opportunity and main event. Jay USO after winning the Royal Rumble last weekend to become the guy that's going to headline WrestleMania. Big week for the channel. Make sure you guys don't miss anything. Until next time, guys. Like, subscribe and tell your friends that DC's got a YouTube channel and I'm doing things like this. Until next time. Peace.

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