The Daniel Cormier Show (The Herd with Colin Cowherd):

"DC & Ben Askren on White House Fights, Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall & UFC Heavyweight Problem"

Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Daniel Cormier (“DC”) & Ben Askren (“Funky”)

Episode Overview

Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren reunite for a candid, banter-filled episode traversing the pressing issues and hot rumors in MMA and boxing. This installment dives deep into:

• Current struggles in the UFC heavyweight division (including Tom Aspinall’s ongoing injury and the vacant title scenario)
• The futures of Jon Jones and prodigy Gable Steveson
• The circus around UFC’s planned fight card at the White House
• Ben and DC’s unfiltered takes on celebrity boxing, including Jake Paul and the rumored Tyson vs. Mayweather bout
• Personal anecdotes, including Cain Velasquez’s release from jail

The conversation bounces seamlessly between sharp analysis, humor, and inside stories, serving both hardcore fight fans and casual listeners seeking behind-the-scenes flavor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

UFC Heavyweight Division: Injuries, Rumors & Thin Ranks

• Tom Aspinall's Eye Injury & Division Stagnation

  • DC opens by debunking rumors that Aspinall was asked to vacate his title after his eye injury, referencing Josh Thomson’s podcast:
    • “Josh Goes UFC has Tom Aspinall to vacate the title until he’s ready to go…It’s not true. It’s just not true. Where did Josh Thompson hear that?” (DC, 02:07)
  • Ben critiques Aspinall’s handling of the aftermath, thinks he should let it rest, then debates intent in the notorious eye-poke:
    • “The ability to poke someone in the eye from space, that’s kind of hard…if you could be that accurate, why wouldn’t you just punch them in their eye?” (Ben, 03:03)
  • Both agree the division is bottlenecked as the top fighters (Jon Jones, Francis Ngannou, Aspinall) are inactive or injured, with few exciting prospects ready to break through:
    • “Heavyweight is struggling right now, man…I love the big boys, but it feels like…the best guys are clearly the best guys.” (DC, 05:40)
    • “The three best fighters are not fighting each other…That’s one of the things that UFC has been so good at…” (Ben, 04:31)

• Prospects & Staleness

  • Discuss the shallowness in the division after the top names, referencing recent lackluster fights:
    • “They didn’t look as skilled as we have seen fighters look recently. So what you really need is…the best guys fighting to wipe the bad performances out.” (DC, 06:16)
    • “Would you say if you put Waldo Cortez Acosta in there with Cyril Gane or Tom Aspinall, he’d be competitive?” (DC, 07:05)

• On Gable Steveson’s Potential & Rushing Prospects

  • Ben presses for a fast-tracked title run for wrestling phenom Gable Steveson:
    • “I think he could get in and out of there with a few fights without taking too much damage…you could push him for the title in, I don’t know, year, year and a half.” (Ben, 09:00)
  • DC urges caution, drawing on his own and Cain Velasquez’s career trajectories:
    • “My only fear with Gable…he’s going to have to move faster than he probably needs to. Not many people are ready to go, one guy, one title fight.” (DC, 09:31)
    • “We gotta be very careful, though, not to rush him….I’ve seen so many great prospects get rushed, and then it doesn’t work out…” (DC, 10:55)
  • Both acknowledge heavyweight can peak later:
    • "Not a heavyweight... Jon’s 37, 38 right now when he was heavyweight champion. Tom Aspinall is like 30." (DC, 11:42)

• Why Heavyweight Is So Thin

  • Fewer regional shows and more secure alternatives (college wrestling coaching with good salaries) have thinned the new-talent pool:
    • “Wrestling guys…are getting money from these RTCs… If you were ever to be the coach at a college, you’d start an RTC and you’d keep the bigger guys and you’d pay them enough…” (DC, 12:40–13:12)

UFC’s White House Event: Staging, Risks, and Dream Matchups

• Card Structure & “Parallel Fights”

  • DC references the idea of “parallel fights” for the White House card: scheduling backup fights in the same division as the main event to mitigate last-minute withdrawals.
    • “You’re going to see a lot of parallel fights when it comes to the White House… So if Justin-Ilia is the main event… you’ll see Arman vs. someone… in case someone falls out.” (DC, 16:25)
  • Both mock rumors about the number of fights and the size of the crowd (fighter hyperbole vs. presidential exaggeration):
    • “Trump said there’s gonna be — they’re gonna build a stadium for a hundred thousand or something.” (Ben, 18:08)
  • Speculate on what kinds of matchups would belong in such a historic setting:
    • “Who would you want to see at the White House?” (DC, 18:59)
    • “I would love to see Ilia and Justin Gaethje… Islam vs Ian Gary… [and] Colby and Bo were trying to fight…” (Ben, 19:01)

• American vs. British Fight Night:

  • Ben floats a tongue-in-cheek take: All-Americans vs. all-British as a nod to American history:
    • “We need a bunch of Americans beating up a bunch of British people? Because that’s how that all started 250 years ago.” (Ben, 19:53)
    • DC: “You’re gonna piss off so many people. You just cannot help yourself.” (DC, 20:26)

Celebrity & Crossover Boxing: Tyson vs. Mayweather, Jake Paul, and the Spectacle

• The Mike Tyson–Floyd Mayweather Exhibition

  • Both are fatigued by the concept:
    • “At what point do we stop here?...I was pumped for Mike Tyson, Roy Jones…but at what point do we stop here?” (Ben, 21:50)
    • “We don’t need to see these dudes fight today, especially Mike. Mike fought Jake Paul when he was 57 or 58. What is he, 60 now?...Mike isn’t hurting for money.” (DC, 23:00)
    • “Mike’s only hitting pads…you can look pretty good on pads… But the moment those punches start coming back…” (DC, 23:22)
  • Both predict a heavy-handed but hollow exhibition, and interest is fading:
    • “I’m not interested. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t want to see it anymore.” (Ben, 25:49)
    • “I’m a little bit done with the celebrity boxing now.” (DC, 25:56)

• Jake Paul as a Boxer:

  • Lighthearted banter about Jake Paul’s loss to Anthony Joshua and crossover antics:
    • “He moved around forever, and then eventually Anthony caught him.” (DC, 26:46)
    • “He shot 50 double legs…” (DC, 26:51)
    • “I kind of have more respect for him…he stepped in there and he did it and then took an ass whooping.” (Ben, 28:09)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On the state of the heavyweight division:
  • “Heavyweight is struggling right now, man…when you look at the heavyweight division…the best guys are clearly the best guys.” (DC, 05:40)
• On Gable Steveson’s UFC trajectory:
  • “My only fear with Gable…he’s going to have to move faster than he probably needs to.” (DC, 09:31)
  • “You got to get to the title by 30 or something.” (Ben, 11:36)
• On UFC at the White House:
  • “You’re going to see a lot of parallel fights when it comes to the White House…So if Justin Ilia is the main event…you’ll see Arman versus someone on that card in case somebody falls out of the main event.” (DC, 16:25)
• On an all-American lineup:
  • “We need a bunch of Americans beating up a bunch of British people? Because that’s how that all started 250 years ago.” (Ben, 19:53)
• On Tyson-Mayweather:
  • “We don’t need to see these dudes fight today, especially Mike.” (DC, 23:00)
  • “I’m a little bit done with the celebrity boxing now.” (DC, 25:56)

Other Highlights

• Wrestling Talk & Ben’s Content:

  • Ben teases DC about stalling calls in college wrestling, specifically mentioning Cody Merrill and breaking down stalls in matches. (21:09–21:36)

• Cain Velasquez’s Release:

  • Emotional support for former UFC champ Cain Velasquez’s release from jail:
    • “I love that, Ben. I love that. I’m just happy that he’s back out…He did what, like you said, what a man should do to protect his family.” (DC, 29:51–30:34)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Tom Aspinall, Eye Injury & Rumor Control: 01:17–04:31
• Heavyweight Division Analysis & Up-and-Comers: 05:13–07:27
• Gable Steveson in UFC, Prospect Pitfalls: 08:53–11:36
• White House Card Structure & Dream Fights: 16:00–20:50
• Celebrity/Exhibition Boxing & Jake Paul: 21:50–28:34
• Cain Velasquez Release: 29:14–30:34

Tone & Language

The episode’s tone is informal, lively, and unapologetically honest—blending technical fight insight, banter, and playful jabs. DC and Ben freely shift between analysis, jokes, and personal stories, providing the intimate feel of two decorated fighters talking shop.

Conclusion

This episode traverses the current logjam in the UFC’s heavyweight division, the hype and risks surrounding UFC’s White House experiment, and the place of celebrity boxing in modern combat sports. Along the way, DC and Ben offer sharp, unscripted insights and fan-driven speculation—making for a must-listen for fight fans tracking big-picture MMA and boxing storylines in early 2026.