The Daniel Cormier Show - DC REACTS to Joe Pyfer TKO vs. Israel Adesanya, Alexa Grasso INSANE KO vs. Maycee Barber

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Daniel Cormier Show – DC Reacts to UFC Seattle (Joe Pyfer vs. Israel Adesanya, Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber)

Date: March 29, 2026
Host: Daniel Cormier
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – The Daniel Cormier Show
Main Theme:
Daniel Cormier delivers a post-fight breakdown and reaction to key bouts at UFC Seattle, spotlighting the monumental wins of Joe Pyfer over Israel Adesanya and Alexa Grasso’s spectacular finish against Maycee Barber. DC provides insight into fighters’ performances, the implications for their careers, memorable moments, and other notable matchups from the card.

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Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Joe Pyfer’s Upset Victory Over Israel Adesanya

• Pyfer’s Evolution and Adesanya’s Choices ([04:39]–[08:20])
  • DC opens with praise for the Seattle fans, then dives into Pyfer’s performance against the crowd favorite, Adesanya.
  • Pyfer struggled early: Adesanya was “quick...locked in,” and Pyfer’s lead leg “destroyed” by unchecked kicks.
  • Pyfer gained composure after his first takedown in round one.
  • Turning Point: Pyfer survived being “pieced up” and capitalized when the fight became a brawl:

    “He recognized that his power is greater than almost everyone in this division, and he proved that against Adesanya.” ([05:20])

  • Adesanya, confident, even attempted a takedown in round two—unusual for him.
  • Pyfer’s improved patience since his “first main event against Jack Hermanson,” where he previously gassed out.
  • DC emphasizes Pyfer’s potential rocket-ship leap up the rankings:

    “When you beat a former champion like Adesanya, you get only better fights, better opponents, and bigger spots in your career.” ([06:25])

  • On Adesanya’s future: Despite speculation, DC feels Stylebender isn’t done:

    “It did not sound like he is almost remotely done with his UFC career. And honestly, the way that he was fighting, I would encourage him to keep going.” ([07:05])

  • DC questions Adesanya’s move into a slugfest:

    “Izzy didn’t ultimately chose to fight him in a way that gave Joe a chance to do exactly what he did. So Izzy will have some questions when he goes back and watches this.” ([07:54])

2. Alexa Grasso’s Violent Finish of Maycee Barber

• Highlight: Knockout & Submission Hybrid ([08:21]–[09:30])
  • Rematch with high stakes: Barber on a 7-fight win streak; Grasso looking to regain old form.
  • Grasso, in top health, “fought tonight like the champion that we remember.”
  • DC describes the finish:
    • “Watching her land that left hand that put her down and how quickly she jumped on that rear naked choke...before Macy even was able to fall backwards flat, Alexa was choking her out.” ([08:50])
  • Dana White called it the “finish of the year.”
  • Barber was left “so out of it,” requiring several minutes before she could get up.
  • DC floats the prospect of a Grasso-Valentina (Shevchenko) trilogy after such dominance:

    “Maybe that’s the only thing that we need to be seeing is those two fighting again.” ([09:30])

3. Michael Chiesa’s Dream Retirement

• Hometown Sendoff ([09:31]–[10:30])
  • Chiesa beats Nico Price by first-round submission—a fairy tale ending at home in Seattle.
  • Unusual for a fighter to retire on such a perfect note:

    “Tonight, it worked out for Michael Chiesa in a way that he will never forget. It was a fairy tale, and even a movie script could not be written any better if you’re Michael Chiesa.” ([09:54])

  • DC cautions Chiesa not to be tempted by a comeback:

    “Even if you got more, it’ll never be better than what happened tonight in Home.” ([10:23])

4. Other Notable Fights & Performances

• Undercard Highlights and Prospects ([10:31]–[12:15])
  • Douglas Leon: Looked sharp and displayed strong jabs in his debut.
  • Bulgaria’s Yuzur: Finally earned recognition after two Contender Series stints:

    “He’s the prospect now.” ([11:12])

    • Alex Pereira, in the cage, says:

      “If he believes in himself, he can be a world champion.”

  • Terrance McKinney: “Finished Kyle Nelson very fast because that’s what Terrance McKinney does.”
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev:
    • Mixed feelings due to an illegal fence grab and a clear headbutt by Musayev, but praised his skills.
  • Lance Gibson Jr., Casey O'Neal, Navajo Sterling: All picked up solid wins.
  • Adrian Yanez vs. Ricky Simon: Ended in a draw.
  • Tyrell Fortune & Marci Tapura: Confusion with the winner being misannounced—“some of the weirdest I’ve ever seen in my life outside the Octagon.” ([12:04])

5. DC’s “Total Wireless Performance of the Night”

([12:15]–[13:05])

• Winner: Alexa Grasso

  “What Alexa Grasso did tonight was the most amazing finishing thing that I’ve seen in a very long time. The speed at which she jumped on that choke was legendary.” ([12:23])

  • Calls it the first “knockout sub” he’s ever seen.
• Honorable Mention: Joe Pyfer

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pyfer’s Power:

  “He recognized that his power is greater than almost everyone in this division, and he proved that against Adesanya.” (Daniel Cormier – [05:20])

• On Adesanya’s Resilience:

  “It did not sound like he is almost remotely done with his UFC career. And honestly, the way that he was fighting, I would encourage him to keep going.” (Daniel Cormier – [07:05])

• On Grasso’s Finishing Speed:

  “The speed at which she jumped on that choke was legendary. It was amazing.” (Daniel Cormier – [12:23])

• On Michael Chiesa’s Retirement:

  “It was a fairy tale, and even a movie script could not be written any better if you’re Michael Chiesa.” (Daniel Cormier – [09:54])

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:39] – DC begins post-fight breakdown; Seattle crowd praise
• [05:00–07:54] – Joe Pyfer vs. Israel Adesanya: fight analysis and implications
• [08:21–09:30] – Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber: finish breakdown, future matchups
• [09:31–10:30] – Michael Chiesa’s submission win and retirement recap
• [10:31–12:15] – Rapid-fire undercard highlights
• [12:15–13:05] – DC’s “Total Wireless Performance of the Night”: Alexa Grasso

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Final Thoughts and Tone

Daniel Cormier’s analysis combines technical insight with a genuine appreciation for the athletes’ stories and achievements, often highlighting the emotional subtext beneath the wins and losses. His commentary is delivered with excitement, authority, and a touch of humor.

“Tell your friends to tell their friends that DC’s got a YouTube channel.” (Daniel Cormier – [13:05])

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Summary:
This episode is a fast-paced, passionate recap of a memorable UFC event, with special attention to career-defining performances and jaw-dropping finishes. DC’s praise for Joe Pyfer and Alexa Grasso, as well as his insight into the sport’s personal side (from Adesanya’s mindset to Chiesa’s dream retirement), gives fans everything they need to catch up and feel the stakes of UFC Seattle.

Transcript

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[Daniel Cormier]

What's up, guys? Hey. UFC Seattle just wrapped and today's post fight reaction video is brought to you by Total Wireless, the official wireless provider of UFC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data that will not slow you down. Now, that is a total power move. Guys, tonight was amazing. I was told that Seattle had some of the best fans in the world, and they get so excited for fighting tonight. That was proven. I watched an amazing fight card. So many finishes, but nobody made an impact like Joe Piper. Joe Piper came into an arena of people that were here to Support Israel Adesanya. And they let him know it. They screamed, they booed, they yelled. Adesanya came out. He fought fast, he fought well. He looked quick, he looked locked in. And Piper might have fallen behind early, but he stayed the course. Joe Pifer literally gotta take down the in round one, which seemed to settle him. The beginning of round two, Piper's actually getting pieced up by Adesanya. His lead leg is destroyed. He hasn't checked the kicks, so he's really struggling to even stand. But the moment Adesanya engaged him in the type of fight that he likes, aa a brawl where you stand in front of your opponent and you throw punches and you go punch for punch, he recognized that his power is greater than almost everyone in this division, and he proved that against Adesanya. He hurt Adesanya bad against the Octagon side. Then he eventually was able to take him down to the ground. Look, Adesanya was feeling so good early in round two that he tried to take Piper down. Joe Piper is an interesting dude. He fought his first main event against Jack Hermanson. He got so tired that he was not able to keep up the type of pace in the fight that he wanted to put on. But tonight he was able to get a finish because he was a little more patient, because he took his time more, because he didn't rush, he didn't exhaust himself early in the fight, and he finished a great champion. Now, Joe Piper is going to be in the top five of the division next week, or at least he should be after winning that fight. I'm very interested to see what they do with him next. Who does Joe Piper fight next when he goes inside the Octagon? Because the matchups, they just get tougher, Dominic Cruz said, and he's going to get a rocket ship strapped to his back. And that's true, because when you beat a former champion like Adesanya, you get only better fights, better opponents, and bigger spots in your career. Joe Piper seems to be at a place in his life, mentally, emotionally, to be able to handle those things. So hats off to Joe Pifer. It was amazing watching him take that next step in his career for Israel Adesanya. I asked him, I said, so how do you bounce back after this? He goes, you just keep going. People were wondering whether or not if Adesanya didn't get the job done tonight, if it would be it like if we had seen the last of the Stylebender. To me, it did not sound like he is almost remotely done with his UFC career. And honestly, the way that he was fighting, I would encourage him to keep going because he was fighting really well. I will question, I think Izzy will question when he gets back to watching this fight, why he chose the path that he did in round two. Because he was fighting really well. He fought well in round one, he was fighting well in round two. But then for some reason he decided to kind of say, you know what? Shield in the middle, let's stand on it and let's trade. When in reality that was probably the best way for Piper to get a victory because then he could reach him. Joe was missing with a lot of stuff early, but Izzy didn't ultimately chose to fight him in a way that gave Joe a chance to do exactly what he did. So Izzy will have some questions when he goes back and watches this. But ultimately the night belonged to Joe Pifer. In the co main event, we had a rematch of Alexa Grasso versus Macy Barber. The first fight Rosso won, but Barbara fought a very good third round. Barbara was on a seven fight win streak. Alexa Grasso fought tonight like the champion that we remember. She's a great boxer. She said she'd been injured in these last couple fights. She said healthy, she's hell on wheels. And tonight she proved that she not only did away with Barbara's win streak, it was violent, man. Watching her land that left hand that put her down and how quickly she jumped on that rear naked choke. Dana White told me and I, I agreed this was the finish of the year. Before Macy even was able to fall backwards flat, Alexa was choking her out. And then Barbara laid on the ground for a good five minutes before they able to move her because she was so out of it. That was, that was amazing. And honestly, I know we don't necessarily want to see Alexa versus Valentina again right now, but when you do that to a fighter that won seven in a row, maybe that's the only thing that we need to be seeing is those two fighting again. Because that was impressive. That was really, really impressive. Michael Kiesa retired tonight. He fought Nico Price. He was able to get a takedown early. Nico Price does this crazy defense where he tries to spike him on his head, but by trying to spike him on his head, he's putting Michael in his best position and that's on the back. Michael Chiesa is a tremendous jujitsu grapple. He has a rear naked choke that's as good as anyone. So what's he do? He chokes Nico out first round. Fairy tale ending. You know, guys, we see so many people get the opportunity to fight at home, to retire. They get the opportunity to try and walk away on their terms. And in most cases, it does not work out. Tonight, it worked out for Michael Chiesa in a way that he will never forget. It was a fairy tale, and even a movie script could not be written any better if you're Michael Chiesa. So hats off to Mike. He got what everybody wants, and I hope that he's satisfied with that, because right now he's won four fights in a row. That's the longest streak in his career. So there will be a pull for him to go, I got more. No, Mike, because even if you got more, it'll never be better than what happened tonight in Home At Home. Sorry. A submission in the first round. Go home to Kelsey. Joe. Get on this side of everything, the TV side, because you're good at that. So congratulations, Michael. That was awesome. It's kind of weird, man. I didn't know what I was going to do about Nico Price. He was retiring, too, but I just didn't feel like you could interview him after you interview Michael in this situation. Leon Douglas looked amazing. Jabs was hurting. Julian Arosa, this kid looked exactly that way on the Contender series. And tonight he did the same thing on in his UFC debut. Congratulations, Yuzur. Bulgaria caught on the continuous series. Twice won and didn't get a contract. Tonight. What he did against Mansoor Abdul Malik was so amazing. And now two fights in a row, he has done that against prospects, people that we thought were prospects. He's the prospect. Now. When I talk to Chapel X Pereira in the cage, he goes, I spar this guy, he goes, if he believes in himself, he can be a world champion. With the way that he fought tonight, he's good, man. I'd like to see a step up in competition because I believe he's ready for it. His kickboxing is that I love Terrence McKinney finished Kyle Nelson very fast because that's what Terrence McKinney does. The kid is as fun as anyone in the ufc, but he's so talented. I hope he can continue to run this up because he is exciting and people love him. I don't know how he does it, though. I mean, fighting the best fighters in the world, and he is finishing them so, so quickly. Ignacio Bahamandez and Tafiq Mosayev. Unreal. Look, Mosayev should get credit for what he did. He fought well, great ground and pound, but, man, that fence grab really left a bad taste in my mouth. In that second round. And then the headbutt, it wasn't an accidental clash of heads, it was a headbutt that really did affect Baja Mendes. But in terms of his ground and pound and everything, he looked great. And the kid was a good fighter in other organizations before he got to the UFC, so, you know, there's talent there. Lance Gibson Jr. Big win tonight over Chase Hooper. Casey O' Neal comes back, does a great job in winning her fight in the first round. Navajo Sterling finishes Bruno Lopez, Adrian Yanez and Ricky Simone was a draw. Alexia Tainara beats Burn Basil. And how about Tyrell Fortune and Marci Tapura? They're wrong. The wrong winners announced. Fortune leaves the Octagon. We're running behind him. Tell him come back. Because in my ear, I hear who won, they tell me who won. And then it's announces something completely different. Some of the weirdest I've ever seen in my life outside the Octagon. Guys, now it's time for my total wireless performance of the night, and that's going to go to Alexa Grasso. I don't know if you can finish a fight in that way and not be the fighter of the night. I want to give a second one to Joe Piper, but I can. What Alexa Grasso did tonight was the most amazing finishing thing that I've seen in a very long time. The speed at which she jumped on that choke was legendary. It was amazing. We know she can strike, we know she can grapple, but to do it in the way that she did, unbelievable. So that is going to be my total wireless performance of the night. Alexa Grasso, for her knockout submission. Because it was both. It was both. It was a knockout sub and the first one that I've seen in my entire career. Guys, until next time, like, subscribe and tell your friends to tell their friends that DC's got a YouTube channel. Look at that sorry ass Liverpool fan in the back right there. Until next time. Peace.

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data keeping you in the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. Now that's a total power move. Make your total power move today. Visit total wireless.com or stop by your

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See total wireless.com for details.

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