Daniel Cormier TV - DC says Alex Pereira beating Jon Jones at heavyweight could make him UFC GOAT

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

"Daniel Cormier TV – DC says Alex Pereira beating Jon Jones at heavyweight could make him UFC GOAT"

Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Daniel Cormier (DC), with appearances by Colin Cowherd
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Episode Overview

This episode of Daniel Cormier’s segment on The Herd dives deep into the recent UFC 320 event, focusing on Alex Pereira’s dominant win and his audacious callout of Jon Jones for a heavyweight clash. DC analyzes the context and implications of Pereira’s challenge, discusses the injuries and decisions affecting recent fighters, and explores what Pereira’s ambition means in the evolution of MMA stardom and legacy. The episode is candid, passionate, and offers unique insight from a former UFC champion’s perspective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alex Pereira’s Spectacular Win at UFC 320

• [03:00] DC recaps Alex Pereira's latest victory, avenging his previous loss by dominating Magomed Ankalaev in their rematch to reclaim the world championship.
• [04:00] Cormier discusses Ankalaev’s rib injury:
  • Cormier had seen footage of Ankalaev getting injections before the fight.
  • Despite being limited in preparation, Ankalaev chose to compete, knowing the risks.
  • DC doubts even a healthy Ankalaev could have changed the outcome, given Pereira's “mission” mindset.

“He wanted to go out there and beat Pereira again because he understood how important it was to have a victory over Alex...but he was not at 100%. But I don’t know if he was at 120% if he would have beaten Pereira on that night.”
— Daniel Cormier, [05:25]

2. The Mindset of Alex Pereira and the Evolution of the Sport

• [06:00] Instead of pursuing rematches or contenders in his division, Pereira immediately called out Jon Jones for a fight at heavyweight.
• DC analyzes why this is significant:
  • Pereira is choosing the riskiest, most high-profile fight instead of the safest path.
  • Modern MMA prizes big, legacy-building fights—sometimes over titles themselves, a trend seen previously with Conor McGregor.
  • Jones represents the highest value win due to his status as arguably the greatest fighter ever.
  • Cormier believes this attitude exemplifies bravery and ambition in today’s top fighters.

“Alex called out the hardest fight possible, and I think it also shows where we are in today’s world of mixed martial arts, where, like with Conor McGregor, people are almost valuing the fight over the belt.”
— Daniel Cormier, [07:40]

• [09:00] DC compares possible matchups:
  • Yuri Prochazka: Beaten twice by Pereira; hard to motivate for a trilogy.
  • Carlos Ulberg: Earned a shot, but less hype for Pereira.
  • Tom Aspinall and Cyril Gane: Difficult matchups, but Jones is the “Mount Everest” challenge.
  • Tom Aspinall’s lack of star power is the main hurdle preventing him being the “must-fight” opponent.

3. Legacy Implications: Pereira Chasing GOAT Status

• [11:00] Cormier explores the historical significance if Pereira were to defeat Jon Jones as a former 185 and 205 lb champion now challenging at heavyweight.
  • Pereira’s career already stands out: “Twelve UFC fights, nine title bouts in less than four years.”
  • No other major champion has transitioned up from 185 lbs to fight at heavyweight successfully.

“Pereira has now built himself into a real 205 pounder that could potentially challenge the heavyweight greats. And I love that he’s calling the hardest fight. I love that he’s picking the most intense, worst matchup for himself, because it just speaks to the man that Alex is.”
— Daniel Cormier, [12:20]

4. State of the Heavyweight Division & Contender Picture

• [13:00] DC breaks down the challenge for Aspinall in capturing attention like McGregor or Jones had.

  • Aspinall needs to win impressively soon (vs. Cyril Gane in Abu Dhabi) to become a star everyone chases.
  • He also notes the huge reputational leap a fighter gets by facing or beating Jones.

• Cormier’s personal view on next fights:

  • Pereira vs. Jones at the White House would be a “blockbuster,” but more likely, Pereira defends the 205 lb title first (Carlos Ulberg being next in line).
  • Prochazka is not ready for a third fight with Pereira yet after two stoppage losses.
  • Ankalaev’s injury was real, but “no excuses”—Pereira was on a mission and deserves credit.

5. Fighter Integrity and Road Ahead

• DC closes by praising Ankalaev’s willingness to fight despite injury, emphasizing the importance of risk, courage, and fortitude in MMA.
• Perseverance and fighter mentality are recurring themes: true champions accept daunting challenges, regardless of physical setbacks or reputational risks.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the value of mega-fights over titles:

  “The big fight matters to these dudes. Alex is 38 years old and probably thinking at this point, how do I go and make another statement that I am the guy?”
  — Daniel Cormier, [09:10]

• On Pereira’s rapid rise:

  “Twelve UFC fights now. Nine of them have been for UFC championships. That’s a crazy number. He still hasn’t been on the roster for four years.”
  — Daniel Cormier, [11:10]

• On Jon Jones’ legacy as the ultimate challenge:

  “Because if I put Alex Pereira against Jon Jones, Pereira is the underdog...does it bring the same type of recognition or the same type of value to a victory as fighting Jon Jones?”
  — Daniel Cormier, [10:30]

• On Ankalaev’s loss:

  “He chose to fight. He wanted to fight. There were a lot of people that care greatly about him, that tried to talk him out of it, but he’s a champion and he got beat for it.”
  — Daniel Cormier, [14:45]

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Important Timestamps

• [03:00] – Recap of Pereira’s win at UFC 320
• [05:25] – Details on Ankalaev’s rib injury and the fight’s lead-up
• [07:40] – Insight on the shift from title-focused matchmaking to big, legacy fights
• [09:10] – Pereira’s motivation at age 38 and what’s at stake socially and competitively
• [11:10] – Pereira’s unique UFC trajectory (12 fights, 9 titles)
• [12:20] – Praise for Pereira’s challenge and bravery
• [13:00] – Discussion of Tom Aspinall’s situation and the star power gap
• [14:45] – Conclusion on Ankalaev’s decision to fight and overall fighter mentality

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Conclusion

Daniel Cormier’s episode offers a deep insider look at the shifting sands of UFC stardom, the allure of high-risk, high-reward bouts, and the personal qualities that define MMA legends. Alex Pereira’s boldness in calling out Jon Jones at heavyweight is framed not just as a career move, but as a defining moment in contemporary fight culture—a litmus test of courage, ambition, and legacy.

DC leaves listeners pondering: Who should Alex Pereira fight next, and what challenges truly shape the pantheon of UFC greats?

“The world is his oyster, as it has been since the very beginning of his career here in the UFC.”
— Daniel Cormier, [15:10]

Transcript

[Daniel Cormier]

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[Colin Cowherd]

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[Daniel Cormier]

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You must be 21 or older and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-888-A-D MIT-IT-IT in Indiana. If you are someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. And if you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER what's up guys? It's Wednesday, October 8th and welcome to a brand new episode at Daniel Cormier tv brought to you by Total Wireless, the official wireless provider of of UFC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data that will not slow you down. So last weekend I'm in Vegas for UFC 2, 320, UFC 320, which is crazy that they're 320. I tried to say 230, which tells you how backed up I am. I think I might have fought at UFC 230. Alex Per becomes the world champion again. That's interesting because he lost to the guy that he fought, Maga Man Unclev, in the match in the first encounter and he just dominated him in the way that he did in the second encounter. But that's not what I want to talk to you about today. I want to talk to you about Alex and his intentions and how he showed them very quickly after the fight. I also want to touch on briefly Magal's injury and how that may have affected the fight, but also how the messaging going into that fight was different. Right? The people that wanted him to fight opposed to people who didn't want him to fight. And ultimately what made him to fight, make the decision to fight. First off, let's talk about the injury right away. Magaman Ankalaev did have a rib injury. This is not a lie. This is not an excuse. I know this because prior to the fight I saw video of him getting injections into his rib to try to help him, try to help him get to the fight. He was able to hit pads and do cardio essentially for a month and a half before the fight. With that being said, I don't know if the result changes, if he was healthy because of the way Pereira fought him, I know some people that are very close to Magala that said for him not to fight, he wanted to fight. He wanted to go out there and beat Pereira again because he understood how important it was to have a victory over Alex and two over him would have been even a stronger statement as to why he is who he is. But he was not at 100%. But I don't know if he was at 120% if he would have beaten Pereira on that night. The way Pereira attacked him just really was in a fashion that said that he was pissed off and he wanted the fight to be completely different than it was the first time. And he absolutely did that. He knocks him out, quickly becomes the world champion, immediately gets to the press conference and turns his attention to something so different. Which brings me to this. For so long, people spoke about Tom Aspinall and how Jon Jones was avoiding him and how Jon Jones didn't want to fight him. And when you look at the matchup, that is possible because why Tom Aspinall is a very difficult matchup for anyone. He also doesn't have the star ability of a Jon Jones. So instead of Alex Pereira going to the press conference and saying, sure, I want Yuri, sure I want Carlos Olberg, hell, maybe I want the winner of Aspinall vs. Cirogan, he said, no, I want to fight Jon Jones. I want the biggest fight. Hell, the Jon Jones fight for Pereira of all of the other four is the most difficult fight for Pereira. So it speaks to the type of man that Alex is. Alex called out the hardest fight possible, and I think it also shows where we are in today's world of mixed martial arts, where, like with Conor McGregor, people are almost valuing the fight over the belt. Because right now it'd be very easy for Alex to go, I want to fight Tom Aspinall. And the UFC would have to listen because he's that big of a star. Dana said there are still fights for him at 205. When Alex looks at Yuri, who's the guy he's beaten two times, probably goes, that'll be a little difficult for me to get up for. When he looks at Carlos Oberg, he looks at a guy that's predominantly a striker and probably goes, that'll be a little difficult for me to get up for, but I can get up for Jon Jones at heavyweight. The big fight matters to these dudes. Alex is 38 years old and probably thinking at this point, how do I go and make another statement that I am the guy? Hell, he went to beat Jon Jones at heavyweight. Alex Pereira, who's already considered one of the greatest fighters of all time in the most expedited timeline I have ever seen, would literally cement himself to almost stand above everyone because he would have beaten a former UFC light heavyweight champion and heavyweight champion and the guy many considers the greatest fighter of all time. But there are fights at 205. There is Carlos Olberg, who has earned his opportunity. I misspoke last week talking to Chris Weidman about he needs a world champion. He beat Yambachovic. He just beat, he had beat Yamba Hovich, and then Dominic dominated Dominic Reyes. He has earned his opportunity. And as much as you might not want to admit it because of the way the first two fights happen, Yuri's earned an opportunity to fight for the belt again. So there are fights and Dana White said as much. Dana said he still has fights. So I don't know if I want to have him move up just yet. But if he does move up, why isn't he chasing the heavyweight champion? And that's what, that's the biggest problem with Tom yet. Because for his dominant as he has been, he hasn't necessarily hit that point where people go, I got to fight this dude because I know that the value in a victory is so great that I'm willing to take the chance. Because if I put Alex Pereira against Jon Jones, Pereira is the underdog. Against Tom Aspinall, Pereira is the underdog. Cyril Gone Per may be an underdog, but does it bring the same type of recognition or the same type of value to a victory as fighting John Jones? Pereira matches up much better also against Tom Aspinall and against Cyril Gane and all these other guys than he does Jon Jones. Tom also hasn't fought since July 24 when he fought Curtis Blades, and that's no fault of his. If it was up to Tom Aspinall, he would have fought multiple times by this point. But I think he was waiting for the Jones fight, which is exactly why Alex is calling for the Jones fight. I love that Pereira is willing to go to heavyweight. He's big enough if a damn sure can hit hard enough. But I think he's showing his hand a little bit and saying, I want Jones. When Jones barely came out of retirement, no matter how long the retirement lasted, I think that's going to force the organization to go. You still got dudes to challenge you at 205 and you may end up fighting there. But I love seeing it. I love seeing him in that willingness to try to climb Mount Everest, because that's all we have seen this dude do in such a short period of time. Alex Pereira seriously has 12 UFC fights now. Nine of them have been for UFC championships. Nine title fights already for Alex Pereira. Crazy number. That's a crazy number. He still hasn't even been on the roster for four years. I don't think barely started fighting here. He's one of the greatest fighters of all time and he's one of the bravest fighters of all time. Because to now say, I was a 185 pounder, I'm the 205 champion now. I want to fight heavyweights is crazy, because guess who could not make 185 ever? Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, Cyril, Gone. None of these guys could ever, ever make 185 ever. They can't make 185. Alex did as recently as a couple years ago. He was talking about doing it again. That's brave, because could you imagine right now Khamzat fighting at heavyweight? No, he would look tiny. Could you imagine the former champion Drekus, for as big as he's at middleweight, fighting at heavyweight, he would look tiny. Pereira has now built himself into a real 205 pounder that could potentially challenge the heavyweight greats. And I love that he's calling the hardest fight. I love that he's picking the most intense, worst matchup for himself, because it just speaks to the man that Alex is. He's a gamer and he showed that time and time again. But I also believe that it shows that Tom Aspinall, if he is to beat Cyril Gane in Abu Dhabi, he's got to do it impressively because he's still missing that cliche that, that cache, that cachet that makes people go, I want to fight him regardless of what the bad of the conditions are, because he's that big a star. Conor McGregor did it. Conor McGregor broke through the glass ceiling. It seems like Jon Jones and his legacy makes these guys want to chase him in the same way. In the same way, even if he is not the champion. Alex has proven that. Hey, it's, it's, it's a big victory over championship by calling out Jon Jones. And I'm here for it, man. So, yeah, Uncle, I was hurt, guys, but, Uncle, I will be the first person to tell you, it was no excuse. He chose to fight. He wanted to fight. There were a lot of people that care greatly about him, that tried to talk him out of it, but he's a champion and he got beat for it. Now, I don't know what his road back to the title looks like, but he went out there. But like I said at the top of the video, I don't know what he could have done to change that result. It just seemed like Pereira was on a mission in the way that he approached that fight. So I don't know. Let's get some of these fights happening. Who do I want Alex to fight? I think it has to be Alberg first. We can't run it back with Yuri just yet. It was two fights, two stoppages. The second one was worse than the first one. Yuri needs to fight one more time, and Jon wants to fight at the White House. Jones vs. Pereira at the White House would absolutely be a blockbuster. What I think in the time being, Alex will want to fight before. I don't think we'll see Jones to the White House, but I think we'll see Pereira before. If he defends that UFC light Heavyweight championship again, then I believe he can call a shot for what happens in June. Hey, congrats to Emanal Rodriguez last night getting his contract on the Contender series. Hey, my Academy Fight Club went 30 this year on contenders, and we've got like five guys in the UFC now, so it's all working. Until next time, guys. Like, subscribe. Tell your friends. DC's got a YouTube channel in the comments. Tell me, what do you guys think should be next for Alex Pereira? I think the world is his oyster, as it has been since the very beginning of his career here in the ufc. All right, guys, Peace.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is Colin Coward from the Colin coward podcast on Fox 1. Now you can stream your favorite live sport so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, nascar, Major League Baseball, postseason, and more. With Fox one, you get it all. Live, edgier seat plays, high octane moments, and that feeling like you're right there in the action. Fox one, we live for live streaming. Now, if you smoke or dip, I'm going to give you a few good reasons to try Zinn Zyn nicotine pouches. First, it's America's number one nicotine pouch brand. And Zen offers a robust rewards program. There's a lot of options for nicotine satisfaction, but there's only one Zen. So if you go to zyn.com find that's z y n.com find to find Zyn at a store near you. This product does contain nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Big deposits deserve big rewards. Kraken is offering up to 2% back on crypto and cash deposits made this October. Deposit $1,000 or more and watch your reward grow as the Kraken community deposits reach 500 million. Opt in through the app and start stacking. Get Kraken in the App Store or Google Play Store today. Not investment advice. Crypto trading involves risk of loss and is offered to US customers through PayWord Interactive, Inc. Terms apply.

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[Daniel Cormier]

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is Colin Coward from the Colin coward podcast on Fox 1. Now you can stream your favorite live sport so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, nascar, Major League Baseball, postseason and more. With Fox one, you get it all live. Edge of your seat plays, high octane moments and that feeling like you're right there in the action. Fox 1 We live for live streaming now. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bone Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio music festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together? Diplo?

[Daniel Cormier]

I pulled up real quick. He was about to leave on tour.

[Colin Cowherd]

You're about to jump in your tour.

[Daniel Cormier]

Bus, and we had like three hours. It was really cool. He really literally just like randomly showed up to my house and I'm like, oh, hey Diplo, what are you doing? He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay.

[Colin Cowherd]

You can listen to the full episode out now, wherever you get your podcasts. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. Had a blast cruising around festival weekend in the all new Palisade Hybrid.

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[Colin Cowherd]

This is an iheart pod.