The Daniel Cormier Show - DC on Joaquin Buckley & Shakur Stevenson UFC-boxing BEEF, MVP's DISAPPOINTING next fight

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: The Daniel Cormier Show – DC on Joaquin Buckley & Shakur Stevenson UFC-boxing BEEF, MVP's DISAPPOINTING next fight

Date: February 14, 2026
Host: Daniel Cormier

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Daniel Cormier delivers a candid analysis of the challenges facing matchmakers in the UFC, using Michael “Venom” Page (MVP) as a focal point. He unpacks MVP’s fighting style, critiques the matchup with Sam Patterson, and weighs in on the recent UFC vs. boxing discourse sparked by Joaquin Buckley and Shakur Stevenson. Cormier’s commentary is informed by insider perspective, personal anecdotes, and his signature direct, analytical tone.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Michael “Venom” Page’s Matchmaking Dilemma

[02:23–11:34]

• MVP’s Unique Style & Difficulties is Matchmaking:

  • Cormier outlines why Michael Venom Page is such a thorny problem for UFC matchmakers like Sean Shelby.
  • “Michael Venom Page is... a guy that carries a star quality about him... but also a style that is very, very difficult to prepare for and very, very difficult to get a victory over, which in turn leads to difficulties matching him.” (03:00)

• History of Confounding Opponents:

  • From Kevin Holland being frustrated, to Ian Machado Garry “turning into a wrestler” to beat him, to Shara Bullet and Jared Cannonier struggling, Cormier details how MVP baffles opponents:
    • “You see guys and they just don’t know how to fight him.” (06:51)

• The Sam Patterson Matchup:

  • Cormier acknowledges MVP’s frustration at having to fight an unranked, lesser-known opponent after beating high-level names.
  • “Honestly, he’s not a guy that you would expect Michael Venom Page to be fighting, right?” (07:32)
  • Cormier sympathizes, suggesting both men were somewhat blindsided by the booking and that MVP feels a letdown is natural after tougher, more prominent opponents.

• MVP’s Own Words (paraphrased):

  • Quoting MVP’s MMA Junkie interview, Cormier shares:
    “Even after this fight, I really want him [Sam Patterson] to continue to succeed, grow and show his talents, because he’s a dangerous kid, which also makes the fight much more difficult.” (08:10)

• Pressure on MVP:

  • Cormier asserts that there’s enhanced pressure on MVP to deliver something spectacular because this is a “no-win” fight for his public perception:
    • “If you can’t get a fight after beating Jared Cannonier, I don’t know how much easier it’s going to get people to say yes to a fight after you fight Sam Patterson.” (10:09)
    • “Maybe it’s an opportunity for him to do something spectacular... he hasn’t had a finish since Bellator, but if he doesn’t, then it just kind of follows the path of what his career has been.” (10:50)

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2. Joaquin Buckley vs. Shakur Stevenson – UFC vs. Boxing Beef

[16:06–18:04]

• Context of the UFC-Boxing Debate:

  • Shakur Stevenson, a prominent boxer, claimed “the UFC could never be boxing.”
  • Joaquin Buckley, UFC rising star, rebuked that idea publicly.

• Cormier’s Take:

  • DC sides with Buckley, observing that the “boxing” of today doesn’t compare to its glory eras:
    • “Joaquin Buckley was right. Like, it doesn’t have to be boxing because there’s no big fights like there were in the past. Hey, I want to be the boxing of the 70s and 80s and 90s.” (16:07)
  • He notes the lack of current boxing crossover stars and big events, contrasting it with the UFC’s regular delivery of exciting, competitive fights:
    • “Boxing today just isn’t what boxing was before. And hats off to Joaquin Buckley for calling that shit out, because he should have called it out. We aren’t boxing. The UFC is better. That’s just the God honest truth.” (17:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Matchmaking with MVP:
  “I do not envy Sean Shelby when I’m trying to book Michael Venom Page. Let me tell you why...” (03:21, Cormier)

• On MVP’s Style:
  “He just could not figure out Michael Venom Page. It was hard for him to find a way to fight him because the style is so different and so unique to who MVP is.” (04:06, Cormier re: Kevin Holland)

• On UFC vs. Boxing Modern Reality:
  “Boxing today isn’t necessarily what I would want to be and what it used to be, because there just aren’t enough stars to make big fights.” (16:14, Cormier)

• On Pressure for MVP:
  “So now, we end up with him versus Sam Patterson. Sam Patterson wins this fight, it’s great for him. MVP wins... then what is next?” (10:03, Cormier)

• On the UFC being ‘better’ than boxing:
  “We aren’t boxing. The UFC is better. That’s just the God honest truth.” (17:46, Cormier)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:23 – Cormier opens analysis on Michael Venom Page’s UFC run and challenges in matchmaking.
• 03:00–04:30 – Details on MVP’s style frustrating high-caliber opponents.
• 06:51 – Jared Cannonier fight and further commentary on fighters struggling to engage MVP.
• 07:32–09:40 – Commentary on the Sam Patterson matchup, and MVP’s reaction.
• 10:09 – Cormier on the “no-win” scenario for MVP.
• 16:06 – Shakur Stevenson’s comments and Buckley’s retort.
• 16:45–17:46 – Cormier’s comparison of modern boxing and UFC, siding with the UFC.

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Tone & Style

Daniel Cormier’s style is:

• Candid and opinionated (“That’s just the God honest truth.”)
• Insider-informed with appreciation for the business side and the fighters’ perspectives.
• Respectful yet unfiltered, pulling no punches with his takes on matchmaking difficulties and on differences between UFC and boxing today.

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Summary Takeaway

• Michael Venom Page is so unorthodox and difficult to prepare for that few top fighters are willing to accept a bout, even though matchmakers are eager to pair him fairly.
• MVP’s current matchup with Sam Patterson reflects the wider problem: as Page continues to baffle and defeat increasingly prominent fighters, it paradoxically narrows his options and puts pressure on both him and the UFC.
• The current UFC product is, in Cormier's view—and that of fighters like Joaquin Buckley—superior to modern boxing, which he says lacks the stars and fight excitement of its own past.
• The episode is a prime example of Daniel Cormier’s trademark blend of technical insight, business perspective, and authentic locker-room candor.

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Transcript

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What's up guys? Welcome to a brand new episode at Daniel Cormier TV brought to you by Total Wireless, the official wireless provider of the UFC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data that will not slow you down. You know, as always, that that's a total power move. Hey, you know what else is a Total power move. Joaquin Buckley calling out Shakur Stevenson. I know that Joaquin and I aren't always on the same page, but calling out Shakur Stevenson was the right thing to do. But you know what else can be not so great is getting fights and getting fights that don't necessarily sit well with you, but also don't seem to match where you think your career is. Luis is going to throw me some of these opponents in the chat here in a second, but I'm talking Michael Venom Page. So Michael Venom Page is, as you guys all know, a guy that's a tremendous fighter, a guy that was in Bellator as a champion, came to the ufc, has really beaten some decent guys, but also made them look confused. Michael Venom Page is also a guy that carries a star quality about him that people seem to want to be around him. But Michael Vented Page is only also a guy that has a style that is very, very difficult to prepare for and very, very difficult to get a victory over, which in turn leads to difficulties matching him. Sean Shelby is one of my buddies. I think that he is as good as his job as anyone in the business. Learned from Joe Silva before Joe Silva retired and really has done a good job with. With this and has the best seats. It's a great job to have. I do not envy Sean Shelby when I'm trying to book Michael Venom Page. Let me tell you why, right? Michael Venom Page, when he came from Bellator, his first fight in the UFC was when he first got to the ufc, okay, he fought against Kevin Holland. I remember that he had a great big entrance. And then when you watch the fight, Kevin Holland was almost visibly frustrated because he couldn't get a bite on him. He just could not figure out Michael Venom Page. It was hard for him to find a way to fight him because the style is so different and so unique to who MVP is. Wasn't the most fun fight, but again, it was a classic MVP fight that when you have watched him since Bellator and some of the great performances he had in his career, you see how he would confuse these guys and they would really struggle to kind of figure him out outside of the wrestlers, which led to his second fight, you get a big step up. You get Ian Machado. Garry, who was undefeated at the time and who had all this hype. Michael Venom Page's style, in the way that he goes about his business was so hard that even Ian Machado, Garry turned into a wrestler. He even turned into a wrestler. Having to take him down to try to figure out how to approach mvp, because it's that hard. It's that hard a style to go about trying to get a victory over. So Ian Misharo, Gary took him now, which was the right decision. He got the victory. Then he gets Jara Bullet, right? Because as you guys know, in fighting or in the ufc, if you have paid attention, if you have paid attention, you know that when a guy takes a loss to a guy like Gary who is on the rise, then you say, okay, let's put him in with another young guy, see if that young guy can get over him, use himself to propel himself over the old guy, shot a bullet, who to that point was destroying guys looking like a future guy that was going to challenge MVP beats him in the same exact way. Whereas Shire Bullitt is just kind of standing in front of him taking pictures. I always say you can't take pictures in the Octagon. You cannot be in awe of what the person is doing in front of you. But with mvp, we have seen it time and time again. He did it to Holland, he did it to Shahra Bullet, and then he did it to Jarrett Cannonier. Jarrett Cannonier is historically one of the toughest, most difficult guys in the UFC to fight. He's so big, he's so strong, he's so powerful.

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He's.

[Daniel Cormier]

He's fought at heavyweight, he's fought at 205, and now he's a middleweight who has fought for the UFC Championship and done amazing things. Same thing. So you see guys and they just don't know how to fight him. So when it's time to match him, when it's time to match him, you start going on names and people start saying no. As MVP said, he goes, I can't get fights. He told MMA Junkie, I can't get fights. And then he got a fight, right? But the fights against Sam Patterson, no disrespect to Sam Patterson, he has looked really, really good. He has been really, really tough, and he's a kid that has potential, right? But honestly, he's not a guy that you would expect Michael Venom Page to be fighting, right? Page said that he thought that it was a very surprising matchup because he's unranked, he's unknown to the public. But mvp, you know, he goes, I don't want to get in the career of his trajectory, but I've got to win. So when talking to MMA Junkie, he said, sam's a dangerous guy, up and coming fighter, even for those who don't know him, he's a Lovely kid. I'm literally a supporter of his, and I want him to, obviously not against me, do well, progress. Even after this fight, I really want him to continue to succeed, grow and show his talents, because he's a dangerous kid, which also makes the fight much more difficult. People think I'm naturally. People I think are naturally going to assume and expect me to win this fight when I know the person I'm facing. He's not well known in competition to myself comparison to myself, he's super dangerous, super talented. So it's going to be a difficult fight. Literally the first three fights, I believe he said on training with Sam Patterson, Holland, Gary Bullitt, I know him well. He knows me well. And this is why for him, he even messaged me to be like, do you know about this? I was like, I didn't know. I was away in Thailand. He told me, I've been offered a fight. So, yeah, I think for both of us, it wasn't the most ideal, but after they talked, we were like, look, it feels like this is what they're pushing. Let's just respectfully, with love, go in there, put on the show, and may the best win, win. We just keep it moving. So Paige seemed disappointed in having to fight a kid he knows, but I feel, and I really can't speak for the man, the disappointment comes from fighting Ian Garry, Shara Bullitt. Ian Garry, Shara Bullitt. Kevin Holland, Jarred Cannonier, Sam Patterson. That is where the disappointment comes. If it was me, because I would have thought that after fighting a guy that just fought for the world championship, I would get to fight someone else. Look, Sam Patterson's won four straight fights by finishes, so there is a element of danger to him. But let's not forget Sam Patterson, in his UFC debut, I think lost. I think he got knocked out or something like that. I'm not exactly sure. I think I. I think I called it. It was on the pay per view back in the day. But you look at the people that MVP has fought, right, and you expect a step up, especially. Especially with where he's been and where he expects to go going forward. I think it makes sense. I think it would make sense even if he was a little bit let down by the matchup. But again, I don't want to be Sean Shelby, because how hard would it be to match up a guy that seems to be so difficult to fight? So now we end up with him versus Sam Patterson. Sam Patterson wins this fight. It's great for him. MVP wins this fight, then what is next. Because if you can't get a fight after beating Jared Cannonier, I don't know how much easier it's going to get people to say yes to a fight. After you fight Sam Patterson, I think it puts a little pressure on him to go out there and do something spectacular. Like I said, maybe the fight isn't as high profile, but maybe it's an opportunity for him to do something spectacular. He hasn't had a finish since Bellator, but if he doesn't, then it just kind of follows the path of what his career has been. So I don't know, man puts a little pressure on mvp, but just looking at him, he looked a little disappointed that that was the fight that he was getting. Okay, guys, so the super bowl just happened, but our good friends at Hard Rock Bet want to remind you that you can double your winnings on your first 10 bets. On the NBA, on the, on MMA, on all the other sports. So while we might be a little bit sad that the football season ended, Hard Rock back like, come on guys, we can still cash in. So in your first 10 bets, you can double your winnings when you sign up. So all you got to do download the app, Hard Rock Bet app and go and double those winnings on those first 10 bets. There are so many sports. Don't be boohooing because the football season is over, payable and bonus bets is not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. 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You know Shakur Stevenson said the UFC could never be boxing. Joaquin Buckley was right. Like it doesn't have to be boxing because the reality is there's no big fights like there were in the past. Hey, I want to be the boxing of the 70s and 80s and 90s. If I was trying to be boxing, I would want to be boxing of that era and of that time. Boxing today isn't necessarily what I would want to be and what it used to be, because there just aren't enough stars to make big fights. There aren't enough big events to make us go back to the days when Ali was fighting, or when Tyson was fighting, or when you had the Four Kings and they were all fighting each other. I'm talking even the days of Lennox Lewis being the heavyweight champion, even the Klitschko brothers, it was different back then. Those fights brought more attention and they felt bigger. I understand today that when Canelo fought Terrence Crawford, it felt like a big event, but honestly, when I get super excited for these boxing fights, until you get young, exciting prospects that want to go out there and try to knock people out, like the guys from the past, you're going to get the fight that we got where Terence Crawford, who showed once again why he is the best, he just controlled Canelo Alvarez, who's the biggest star of this generation, and it was just not that fun. Honestly, it just wasn't that fun. Whereas when you get to the ufc, it's more fun, it's more exciting, and it's just better. And Joaquin Buckley was right. It's just better. And I love boxing. I've got great friends in boxing. Andre Ward's a great buddy of mine in boxing. I loved watching him fight. But boxing today just isn't what boxing was before. And hats off to Joaquin Buckley for calling that shit out, because he should have called it out. We aren't boxing. The UFC is better. That's just the God honest truth. It's the God honest truth, so is what it is. So, hey, MVPs, got to find a way to get up for this fight. And yeah, the UFC is boxing. It's not boxing. It's better. Until next time, guys. Like subscribe. Tell your friend to tell their friends that DC's got a YouTube channel and I'm doing things like this every single week. Don't miss it. That's a total power move. Until next time. Peace.

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And the story of the Beetle is truly surprising. It has so much in it, he says.

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You should be able to mount machine guns on it. Sure. Not for the family vacation, but, you know, for other things, other plans.

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The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets.

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