5 nightmare HW match-ups for Daniel Cormier (past & present)

[Squall Leonhart]

Cormier could fried chicken his way up to 240 and beat those guys.

I agree the heavyweight division hasn't really improved.

Me too

 

[Shamrockftw]

Prime Arlovski/Liddell/Mirko all beat Cormier

Prime Mir would sub him too

 

[Claude]

Was that the version that got knocked out by Randleman? Or the version that was outstruck by GG, Mir, Schuab and Kongo?

In the OP I mention Crocop circa 2003-2006

So that wouldn't be the version that lost to those guys, except for Randleman, but DC wasn't nearly as explosive as Randleman.

Look at how this dude moves:

DC simply doesn't have that mobility, speed and explosiveness, and surely doesn't have that accuracy in his punches (not even Kevin had it, he just threw a great punch). It was exactly that approach that made Crocop get careless about his defense.

DC on the other hand is slower and more flat footed, which makes him an easier target for strikes:

Crocop would have had a field day with Cormier's lack of body shot defense.

Again boys, styles make fights. One of the Golden rules of fighting.

 

[MescalineDreams]

If you think prime Fedor and Cro Cop ok that's your opinion but DC trains with Cain all the time and Cain even said DC pushes him in training and has made him better. To say it's some sort of sure thing that DC loses to the likes of Cain is just silly.

Pretty sure DC openly says that cain beats his ass all the time and that he's the best HW in the world, even when he was at HW.

Certainly wouldn't be an easy matchup for cain though.

You'd have to give him the edge just because he's better on the feet though.

They'd probably know eachother well enough where the wrestling would cancel out to a degree.

 

[fedoriswar37]

Maybe hes a cain velasquez and has shitty striking wirho

 

[tenniswhiz]

Prime Arlovski/Liddell/Mirko all beat Cormier

Prime Mir would sub him too

Prime Mir vs any top HW from any era is interesting.
Unfortunately, many guys have beaten SUB-prime Mir.

 

[Scyther]

Pretty sure DC openly says that cain beats his ass all the time and that he's the best HW in the world, even when he was at HW.

Certainly wouldn't be an easy matchup for cain though.

You'd have to give him the edge just because he's better on the feet though.

They'd probably know eachother well enough where the wrestling would cancel out to a degree.

I don't believe Cain is better on the feet overall I think they're about equal. Yeah, DC says his teammate beats him up Cain says the same thing they push each other they're most likely evenly matched, the idea that Cain is better then DC is just not the reality of the situation.

 

[Deleted member 196663]

I think DC is constantly underrated and disrespected simply because of his 5'10" dad bod.

 

[BGDDYKWL]

Prime Fedor and Cro Cop were the two that immediately come to mind. Werdum is an interesting fight but I think DC takes it. I honestly think if DC loses to Jones and Cain keeps having injury problems DC might give a go at the HW title before retiring.

 

[MescalineDreams]

I don't believe Cain is better on the feet overall I think they're about equal. Yeah, DC says his teammate beats him up Cain says the same thing they push each other they're most likely evenly matched, the idea that Cain is better then DC is just not the reality of the situation.

Eh. I beg to differ. I think Cain at his very best is probably the best heavyweight we've ever seen. And I'm a huge fedor fan, I think fedor is probably the GOAT. But, Cain at his absolute best..In his prime, at his peak cardio, and tenaciousness..he was the best. Like the cain that MAULED JDS twice for 5 rounds each.

The guy's just been plagued by Injuries, bad luck, and everything else. He's been performing at far below the best we've ever seen from him and far below his potential. I believe Cain was en route to becoming the next great heavyweight In history and that just didn't happen.

If you were to judge Cain on his last few performances, sure. I'd probably agree there Isn't a massive difference between their striking.

That however Is a very short sighted analysis of cain's skillset at his full potential. It's possible you just have a very short memory, as Is the case with many fans these days It seems.

The reality Is DC's striking is NOWHERE near this version of cain.

 

[MescalineDreams]

I don't believe Cain is better on the feet overall I think they're about equal. Yeah, DC says his teammate beats him up Cain says the same thing they push each other they're most likely evenly matched, the idea that Cain is better then DC is just not the reality of the situation.

At his absolute best, there was a sort of fluidity In transitions that Cain had that is unlike anything I've seen from any heavyweight other than fedor. Including DC.

Hopefully we haven't seen that version of Cain for the last time.

 

[MescalineDreams]

I don't believe Cain is better on the feet overall I think they're about equal. Yeah, DC says his teammate beats him up Cain says the same thing they push each other they're most likely evenly matched, the idea that Cain is better then DC is just not the reality of the situation.

Sorry, but the Idea that DC Is equal In striking with Cain is absolutely ridiculous.

You would NEVER see DC outstrike JDS for 10 rounds.

 

[RichardN7]

In no particular order:

1-Antonio Nogueira circa 2001-2005

An elite bjj fighter with an iron chin, decent boxing and insane cardio? Well that sounds scary. People used to say Nogueira didn’t lose fights, he just ran out of time, and for a good reason.

Good luck at trying to GnP Nog’s iron chin and not getting subbed in the process. No doubt DC could take Nog down but he would pretty much be playing in a mousetrap the whole time. Some of his habits on the ground such as resting his extended arms on top of his opponents’ torso or leaving one arm in while in guard could easily get him subbed (more on that later).

DC’s best bet would probably be to sprawl and brawl (kinda like Fedor did in their 3rd fight), however Nogueira, while not heavy handed, had pretty decent boxing, while Cormier’s striking is pretty basic albeit heavy handed.

Cardio would no doubt be a key factor. DC doesn’t have great cardio, while Nogueira had amazing cardio.

Fedor trying to finish a Terminator:

2-Mirko Crocop circa 2003-2006

An elite striker with killer takedown defense? Sounds like a wrestler’s worst nightmare. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Mirko would have been the worst possible match-up for DC in the history of the sport.

Forget about the head kicks. Cormier’s poor defense and ability to take body shots is about the worst weakness you can have against Crocop. It’s not like Cormier just got caught once or twice, he’s actually not good at defending body shots at all.

Seriously, when an old and out of prime Anderson Silva can make scream from pain with a body kick, you should thank the universe you never had to fight a prime Mirko Crocop.

Somebody please tell Cormier how to defend body kicks:

I forgot the sport has evolved so much, fighters now don’t defend body kicks, they just take them like men.

Now DC has heavy hands and could catch Mirko ala Kevin Randleman, but honestly chances would be very slim. DC isn’t nearly as fast or explosive as Kevin was. He's slower and more flat footed, which makes him an easier target for strikes. Getting his head or liver kicked into oblivion seems a lot more likely.

3-Ubereem / Econoreem

Do I really need to explain anything here?

Reem has the TD defense and his striking is miles above DC's. Sure Overeem’s chin can always betray him, but DC getting kneed and body kicked to oblivion seems a lot more likely.

4-Fabricio Werdum

The man who subbed Fedor, Cain and KO’d Mark Hunt. Nuff said.

With that world class bjj, Werdum’s guard is pretty much the last place on earth Cormier should want to be. To make it worse, the dude is also a very capable striker:

Standing or on the ground, Cormier has no place to hide.

5- Fedor Emelianenko circa 2003-2006

We all know DC is a black prime Fedor



but with inferior striking, speed, reflexes, timing, elusiveness, agressivenes, pace, transitions, chin, cardio, sweeps, subs, sub defense,"heart", and the list goes on. Who the hell called DC black Fedor?

The stand-up isn't even close. Fedor fought and outstruck several elite strikers. Considering all of the above, DC having his way with Fedor in the stand-up is simply wishful thinking. He would most likely get overwhelmed, hurt and dropped.

Now DC could take Fedor down (or slam him on his head, doesn't matter). The problem is, DC tends to leave himself opened for subs when on top.

Leaving his arms like this for instance could get him armbarred quickly:

One arm in next to his opponent's head.

This was 2 seconds before Coleman got armbarred:

Cormier's arm doesn't even need to be that deep. This is Fedor's armbar starting position:

Now you might say DC has better sub defense than Coleman (does he?), but that's irrelevant. If he leaves his arms like that he gets armbarred just like him.

Standing or on the ground Fedor was simply just too much for DC to handle. He had a lot more weapons at his disposal. DC's best bet would be to LnP Fedor and avoid the subs/sweeps, but given his habits on the ground that's simply not likely.

Honorable mention: Stipe Miocic

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Bottom line:

There's no denying Daniel Comier proved himself to be a top heavyweight, defeating top fighters like Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce Grand Prix. That being said, he never really fought the best HW's in the world at the time (Overeem, Werdum, Cain, JDS).

Some people even think Cormier was too good for the HW division, but I think the reason he has been doing so well is in fact that he’s NOT fighting at HW; not getting punched, kneed and body kicked by some of the guys mentioned above and others.

Hopefuly he'll move up again soon.

Not even tried to disguise this hate thread.
DC beats them.

 

[hedidhisownstunts]

I wouldn't bet against D.C. in any of those match ups.

 

[Final Say]

In no particular order:

1-Antonio Nogueira circa 2001-2005

An elite bjj fighter with an iron chin, decent boxing and insane cardio? Well that sounds scary. People used to say Nogueira didn’t lose fights, he just ran out of time, and for a good reason.

Good luck at trying to GnP Nog’s iron chin and not getting subbed in the process. No doubt DC could take Nog down but he would pretty much be playing in a mousetrap the whole time. Some of his habits on the ground such as resting his extended arms on top of his opponents’ torso or leaving one arm in while in guard could easily get him subbed (more on that later).

DC’s best bet would probably be to sprawl and brawl (kinda like Fedor did in their 3rd fight), however Nogueira, while not heavy handed, had pretty decent boxing, while Cormier’s striking is pretty basic albeit heavy handed.

Cardio would no doubt be a key factor. DC doesn’t have great cardio, while Nogueira had amazing cardio.

Fedor trying to finish a Terminator:

2-Mirko Crocop circa 2003-2006

An elite striker with killer takedown defense? Sounds like a wrestler’s worst nightmare. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Mirko would have been the worst possible match-up for DC in the history of the sport.

Forget about the head kicks. Cormier’s poor defense and ability to take body shots is about the worst weakness you can have against Crocop. It’s not like Cormier just got caught once or twice, he’s actually not good at defending body shots at all.

Seriously, when an old and out of prime Anderson Silva can make scream from pain with a body kick, you should thank the universe you never had to fight a prime Mirko Crocop.

Somebody please tell Cormier how to defend body kicks:

I forgot the sport has evolved so much, fighters now don’t defend body kicks, they just take them like men.

Now DC has heavy hands and could catch Mirko ala Kevin Randleman, but honestly chances would be very slim. DC isn’t nearly as fast or explosive as Kevin was. He's slower and more flat footed, which makes him an easier target for strikes. Getting his head or liver kicked into oblivion seems a lot more likely.

3-Ubereem / Econoreem

Do I really need to explain anything here?

Reem has the TD defense and his striking is miles above DC's. Sure Overeem’s chin can always betray him, but DC getting kneed and body kicked to oblivion seems a lot more likely.

4-Fabricio Werdum

The man who subbed Fedor, Cain and KO’d Mark Hunt. Nuff said.

With that world class bjj, Werdum’s guard is pretty much the last place on earth Cormier should want to be. To make it worse, the dude is also a very capable striker:

Standing or on the ground, Cormier has no place to hide.

5- Fedor Emelianenko circa 2003-2006

We all know DC is a black prime Fedor



but with inferior striking, speed, reflexes, timing, elusiveness, agressivenes, pace, transitions, chin, cardio, sweeps, subs, sub defense,"heart", and the list goes on. Who the hell called DC black Fedor?

The stand-up isn't even close. Fedor fought and outstruck several elite strikers. Considering all of the above, DC having his way with Fedor in the stand-up is simply wishful thinking. He would most likely get overwhelmed, hurt and dropped.

Now DC could take Fedor down (or slam him on his head, doesn't matter). The problem is, DC tends to leave himself opened for subs when on top.

Leaving his arms like this for instance could get him armbarred quickly:

One arm in next to his opponent's head.

This was 2 seconds before Coleman got armbarred:

Cormier's arm doesn't even need to be that deep. This is Fedor's armbar starting position:

Now you might say DC has better sub defense than Coleman (does he?), but that's irrelevant. If he leaves his arms like that he gets armbarred just like him.

Standing or on the ground Fedor was simply just too much for DC to handle. He had a lot more weapons at his disposal. DC's best bet would be to LnP Fedor and avoid the subs/sweeps, but given his habits on the ground that's simply not likely.

Honorable mention: Stipe Miocic

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Bottom line:

There's no denying Daniel Comier proved himself to be a top heavyweight, defeating top fighters like Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce Grand Prix. That being said, he never really fought the best HW's in the world at the time (Overeem, Werdum, Cain, JDS).

Some people even think Cormier was too good for the HW division, but I think the reason he has been doing so well is in fact that he’s NOT fighting at HW; not getting punched, kneed and body kicked by some of the guys mentioned above and others.

Hopefuly he'll move up again soon.

lmao at your honorable mention

stipe miocic beats all these guys (including cormier) in their prime via far superior hands, footwork and size + good enough wrestling to control the environment in which the fight takes place whether he finds himself in trouble standing or has to keep the fight standing.

he beats them all. he crushed werdum and by then, werdum was better than he was when he beat fedor. he had alistair literally running. granted, alistair's craftiness landed him a sneaky punch but it still wasnt enough, even with his size, power and striking pedigree

stipe miocic is the best heavyweight in the history of the sport and you will all agree one day.

 

[Marianne]

We all know DC is a black prime Fedor
but with inferior striking, speed, reflexes, timing, elusiveness, agressivenes, pace, transitions, chin, cardio, sweeps, subs, sub defense,"heart", and the list goes on. Who the hell called DC black Fedor?

 

[Claude]

 

[Claude]

lmao at your honorable mention

stipe miocic beats all these guys (including cormier) in their prime via far superior hands, footwork and size + good enough wrestling to control the environment in which the fight takes place whether he finds himself in trouble standing or has to keep the fight standing.

he beats them all. he crushed werdum and by then, werdum was better than he was when he beat fedor. he had alistair literally running. granted, alistair's craftiness landed him a sneaky punch but it still wasnt enough, even with his size, power and striking pedigree

stipe miocic is the best heavyweight in the history of the sport and you will all agree one day.

 

[Claude]

Prime Fedor and Cro Cop were the two that immediately come to mind. Werdum is an interesting fight but I think DC takes it. I honestly think if DC loses to Jones and Cain keeps having injury problems DC might give a go at the HW title before retiring.

Werdum has better striking than Cormier though. His MT is pretty decent and Cormier's ability to take knees and body shots isn't good.

Taking Fabricio down would be suicide considering's Cormier's sloppy top game.

I don't see how DC could beat Werdum tbh. He has a puncher's chance and not even a good one.

 

[613]

I think DC is fighting in the best division he possibly can be right now. Even at LHW he still looks soft, and frankly, there's way more risks in him fighting at HW. It's a shame he didn't take up MMA earlier and focus more on his diet and cardio. I've long thought that with discipline, he could've been a very big, strong dominant MW.

When he joined the UFC, he could've been a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a big pond... and he definitely made the right choice opting to fight at LHW. The fighters at HW do seem to be more inconsistent, but they kick and hit hard, and Cormier would definitely be giving up size, strength and reach advantages there.

DC looked a million times more dominant at HW then LHW