Daniel Cormier scoffs at Jake Paul callout: ‘Why would I ever fight someone like that?’

21/04/2021 03:00

Daniel Cormier speaks to the media prior to his showdown with Stipe Miocic at UFC 252. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC “This dude would never fight me. I would kill him”. Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier brushed off Jake Paul’s recent challenge on social media, claiming that the YouTube star would never sign up to fight him. Paul called out Cormier following his viral KO of Ben Askren at Triller Fight Club this past Saturday and, while ‘DC’ almost initially took the bait, the 42-year-old decided to let common sense prevail. Okay fat boy. So me vs you & J vs. T.?? https://t.co/MDhyPTVpIN— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 18, 2021 “This dude would never fight me,” Cormier told ESPN (transcription via Bad Left Hook). “I would kill him. Why would I ever fight someone like that?” Cormier said. “But my immediate reaction was, ‘I can’t stand this kid.’ So it works! I can’t stand this kid! But who punches down? You don’t punch down to somebody. I’m the guy that’s in the Hall of Fame. I’m the guy that won two world championships at the same time.” Cormier, who retired following his loss to Stipe Miocic at UFC 252, would prefer to see Paul take on either Tyron Woodley or Luke Rockhold in his next fight. “I’m not gonna punch down to some kid that’s on YouTube that’s, like, ‘Fight me!’ Like, why? What have you done to earn the right to fight me? So, no, it’s silly and stupid. But I would like him to fight Tyron. I would like to see him fight somebody more real. Don’t fight Ben Askren at 190, bloated,” Cormier said. “Fight a middleweight. Fight Luke Rockhold! Let me see you fight Luke Rockhold or somebody like that. And then I will not only say that you have base skills, I will say you’re a real fighter. Because right now it’s all pretend. It’s all pretend.” Cormier holds no ill will towards Paul but thinks the 24-year-old will be in for a rude awakening once he fights an actual boxer. “It’s time to stop calling this kid a YouTuber, because the kid has the understanding and fundamentals of boxing,” he said. “Are they high level fundamentals? No, but he does understand.” “If he continues to fight guys like this, he will continue to look as he’s looked. But the moment he fights somebody that has a better understanding of boxing, that combination isn’t going to land as effectively, and even if it does, he’s not gonna just be putting these dudes out. Guys are gonna start rolling with the punch, they’re gonna stop reacting so bad to the jab to the body.” Paul is now 3-0 in the ring, finishing all three fights by way of KO.