Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier doesn’t take issue with Israel Adesanya’s UFC 248 performance.
Adesanya took on Yoel Romero to close out UFC 248 this past Saturday night (March 7). Many expected the fight to be a barn burner but it fell short of expectations. Adesanya picked up the unanimous decision victory but fight fans were not happy with what they saw.
Cormier Weighs In On Adesanya vs. Romero
Cormier appeared on The Rich Eisen Show to give his take on how Adesanya vs. Romero played out. “DC” said he isn’t ready to hurl blame on Adesanya for his approach to the fight (h/t MMAFighting.com).
“I don’t [blame Adesanya for the lackluster fight],” Cormier said. “When you fight Yoel Romero, a guy that has knocked out so many people, a guy that has really fought in that same exact way but finds ways to end fights with one action, you cannot think that Izzy would just go in there and be reckless. I’ve never seen anyone do it. He did what he had to do. This guy’s the champion. He’s a guy that if you’re willing to engage, he’ll give you your type of fight. But Yoel Romero’s not a guy that you want to be out there being reckless with. He’s just too dangerous. The risk is not worth the danger.”
Many have compared Adesanya’s performance against Romero to how Anderson Silva’s fights went in his prime. At times Silva turned in phenomenal finishes, while other bouts were lackluster. Cormier told Eisen that he has the same viewpoint in that regard.
Adesanya’s next bout is expected to be against Paulo Costa. That’s if Costa can be cleared within a reasonable amount of time after undergoing surgery. The two have traded heated barbs and the popular belief is that Adesanya vs. Costa would indeed live up to the hype.
