Former UFC Heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier is taking heat for his commentary during the Sam Hughes vs Tecia Torres bout.
Hughes Forced To End Fight Early Due To Eye Injury Causes Controversy
UFC newcomer Sam Hughes was forced to end her fight against #10 ranked Women’s Strawweight early after mentioning to the doctor that she couldn’t see going into the second round. When the fight was announced a doctor’s stoppage and a victory for Torres, Cormier suggested that Hughes was quitting. Hughe’s coach Eddie Grant stated in a recent interview with MMA Junkie that Hughes is not a quitter…
“I’m sorry, but that really got to me. First of all, Sam is a huge fan of Daniel Cormier – and she always has been. Then for him to be like, ‘She’s quitting’ and all this stuff, I know that was hurtful to her. … The thing is that she wasn’t quitting. She would’ve continued to fight. Sam got her arm broken in a fight and came back and won. I have no question about whether she’ll continue to fight. You’re going in there in your UFC debut, and it just so happens we took the fight on five days’ notice. We cut 17 pounds, made weight, and then went and fought the No. 10 girl on planet earth.”
MMA Coach Eddie Grant
Listen, commentating any fight is a tough task, especially when you have to stay neutral during the broadcast. It’s nearly impossible to commentate on what is happening during a fight without giving your take. Daniel Cormier is one of the best UFC commentators and it is not because of his stats and facts during the broadcast. Cormier is a great commentator because his personality glows during the show. DC is not a stat guy. He’s not a fact checker. He’s a former UFC champ that belongs on the commentary roster. Cormier’s commentary on Hughes is what makes him not just another MMA stat guy.
Do I think Cormier might have been a little out of line with the “quitting” comments. Sure. I also understand that Cormier most likely didn’t know all of the facts while making his comments. This was the first UFC bout for Sam Hughes. She faced the #10 ranked strawweight and that has 13 fights in the octagon. Hughes will bounce back from this, but she does a lot to work on now that she is in the UFC.
