The Herd with Colin Cowherd — The Daniel Cormier Show

Episode: DC REACTS to Alexander Volkanovski BEATING Diego Lopes, Ruffy & Benoit TKO win
Date: February 2, 2026

Overview

Daniel Cormier delivers a passionate and insightful post-fight breakdown of UFC 325 from Sydney, Australia. The episode centers on Alexander Volkanovski’s impressive title defense against Diego Lopes, explores standout performances from the event, and reflects on the evolving landscape of UFC’s featherweight division and beyond.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Alexander Volkanovski Dominates Diego Lopes Again

• Volkanovski’s Masterclass: Cormier marvels at Volkanovski’s abilities, noting his improved performance over their previous bout.
  • “Alexander Volkanovski fought even better, guys. He actually went out there against Diego Lopes and beat him better than he did the first time.” (03:00)
• Fight IQ and Adaptability: Praises Volkanovski for making real-time adjustments, dictating the exchanges, and confusing his opponent.
  • “What impresses me most about Volk… he’s so good at dictating the exchanges, dictating when a fight takes place, that guys can’t really figure him out.” (03:40)
• Post-Fight Interview Insight: Shares a revealing interaction from inside the Octagon.
  • Quote (Daniel Cormier, 06:31):
    “I asked him, I said, well, how did you do it better, Volk?... He cut that off really well immediately. So then I just started going to the other direction...”
• Handling the Spotlight: Emphasizes Volkanovski’s composure amidst post-fight chaos compared to most fighters.
  • “Most people cannot handle it. It’s too much joy. But Volk was able to not only deal with all those emotions, formulate that sentence, and tell him exactly what he wants.” (07:15)
• Greatness Cemented: Declares Volkanovski the greatest featherweight of all time, above Aldo and Holloway.
  • Quote:
    “He’s the greatest featherweight of all time. I know we love Jose Aldo. I know we love Max Holloway, but he just won his eighth UFC featherweight title fight... It was Volkanovski’s night. He’s the best in the world, man.” (08:12)
• Open to All Challengers: Notes Volk’s willingness to face any contender, including Mossar and Lerone.
  • “He just wants to fight those guys. And I’m telling you, he’s the greatest featherweight of all time.” (07:58)

2. Benoit Saint Denis’ Gritty Win Over Dan Hooker

• All-Action Style: Cormier describes Saint Denis as an action-oriented fighter, unable to slow down even when advised.
  • Quote (Daniel Cormier, 09:43):
    “He can’t help himself though. He’s just an all action fighter. And Van Hooker did really good to start the fight, but then Benoit just started doing Benoit things, man. Press and press and pressing, being a bit reckless, but ultimately still getting the job done.”
• Growth and Improvements: Reflects on Saint Denis’ journey from previous callouts to legitimate contender, noting a team change sparked a finishing streak.
  • “He got that fight and he got beat. Then he lost again. But ever since then he switched teams. Now this guy’s on an absolute tear.” (10:39)
• Calls for Top Contenders: Predicts Saint Denis deserves a higher-ranked opponent and hints at a leap in the lightweight division rankings.

3. Event Highlights and Breakdowns

• Cardio Battles & Submissions:
  • Ty Tuivasa vs. Towson Teixeira: Both fighters’ exhaustion highlighted—Cormier suggests cardio improvement needed. (11:18)
  • Quillen Soukill: Praised for returning to grappling roots to submit Jamie Malarkey.
• Billy Ellacana’s Gutsy Win:
  • Overcame adversity on feet, secured a takedown, and finished Junior Tafa via rear-naked choke. (11:36)
• Emerging Talent:
  • Cameron Rosson’s continued improvement and Jacob Malcoon’s first career win over Torres Finney (who tore his LCL early).
  • Jonathan Micallef submits Elliott after a tense, grudge match.
• Controversial Decision:
  • Yiza Owlflye vs. opponent: Cormier disagrees with judges, personally scoring it for Yiza.
    • Quote:
      “Oh, awfully won that fight. That was a robbery. I, I actually, I actually wrote, look, I circled Yizah before I went in to get the decision because I thought he won, but they actually gave the decision to off leave. I didn’t think that was right.” (12:38)
• “Road to the UFC” Contracts:
  • Don Marfan, Kyo Chiro Nakamura, and Lawrence Louis secure UFC contracts with impressive performances.

4. Performance of the Night

• Mauricio Rufi’s Star-Making KO:
  • Rufi knocks out Raphael Fiziev, not the expected outcome, and earns Cormier's 'Total Wireless Performance of the Night' honor.
    • Quote:
      “Mauricio Rufy knocked out the great Raphael Fazeev... For that, Mauricio Rupi getting the biggest one of his entire career, he’s going to get my total wireless performance of the night.” (13:10)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Volkanovski’s Champion Mentality
  • “He’s not trying to get the easiest path. He just wants to fight those guys.” (07:50)
• On the Sydney Arena Atmosphere
  • “I don’t think on TV it would have did it justice as to exactly what we were hearing out here when Volkanovski walked out.” (09:20)
• On Fight Adjustments
  • “His ability to adjust in fight, his ability to get better in fight, his ability to take whatever his opponent is giving him and then switch whatever he’s doing right away.” (05:28)
• On Benoit Saint Denis’ Attitude
  • “Everyone has a game plan, but when the fight starts, it goes. He said, listen, I’m just going forward, there’s going to be a clash.” (09:25)

Important Timestamps

• 01:54 — Start of UFC 325 recap and main event context
• 03:00 — Volkanovski vs. Lopes detailed breakdown
• 06:31 — Cormier’s in-cage interview with Volkanovski
• 08:12 — Volkanovski’s featherweight legacy discussed
• 09:43 — Benoit Saint Denis vs. Dan Hooker and Saint Denis’ growth
• 11:18 — Ty Tuivasa vs. Towson Teixeira cardio discussion
• 11:36 — Quillen Soukill, Billy Ellacana, and other event highlight recaps
• 12:38 — Cormier calls “robbery” on Yiza’s decision loss
• 13:10 — Mauricio Rufi’s knockout and “Performance of the Night” announcement

Final Thoughts

Daniel Cormier closes the episode reflecting on UFC 325’s electric energy and standout stories, celebrating the commitment, adaptability, and grit that define MMA’s best. The episode is rich with authentic fighter insight, in-cage details, and a celebratory—yet analytical—tone fitting for the event’s magnitude.