Daniel Cormier predicts Justin Gaethje gets UFC title shot vs. champ Islam Makhachev
Daniel Cormier sees Justin Gaethje sliding into the UFC title picture.
Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is gearing up for his next title defense after making quick work of short-notice replacement Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January.
Ilia Topuria says he was promised an immediate lightweight title shot after he vacated his featherweight title, but there's been pushback from Makhachev's team. That's why Cormier thinks Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will end up getting the title shot.
'I honestly believe that's who is going to fight for the belt, I believe it's going to be Justin Gaethje,' Cormier said on his 'Funky and the Champ' show with Ben Askren. 'If I'm team Makhachev, I'm asking for Justin Gaethje because that's a big-name fight, it's the guy that carries a lot of name recognition. I think that's going to be the fight if I'm being honest with you.'
Ben Askren finds it hard to make a case for Gaethje, who was knocked out by ex-featherweight champ Max Holloway at UFC 300, but rebounded with a decision win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313.
'He lost to Holloway, and Topuria just put down Holloway in very impressive fashion,' Askren said of Gaethje. 'I don't even think it's a hard argument. I think Topuria is by far the most compelling person.'
Cormier's argument for Makhachev is that two of his four title defenses came over former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and how he doesn't want to go down that road again. Askren explained why he doesn't see Cormier's argument as valid.
'Those two featherweights, Holloway has the very, very recent win against Justin Gaethje at lightweight, at which they competed at lightweight, right?' Askren said. 'And then Volkanovski had the very competitive bout with Islam Makhachev. 'So you have both of those guys also competing at lightweight and having relatively good results.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
UFC Coach Reveals He Nearly Pulled Out 'Half-Dead' Merab Dvalishvili from Title Defense Due to Severe Medical Issues
Merab Dvalishvili has built an impressive name for himself as the bantamweight champion since winning the belt when he defeated then-champion Sean O'Malley at UFC 306. Nicknamed 'The Machine' due to his gritty, cardio-reliant, never-say-die attitude in the Octagon, he has built a reputation on his toughness during fights. Even if he fails to secure a takedown, what makes him dangerous is his mentality to shoot for another, results be damned. He may not be the most technical or 'pretty' fighter to watch, but no one can deny he has an unshakeable will to win at whatever cost. Recently, it was revealed that the UFC bantamweight champion's first title defense at UFC 311 against Umar Nurmagomedov was nearly scrapped after his coach, John Wood, considered withdrawing him due to a severe staph infection and open wound. UFC president Dana WhitePhoto By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images Wood revealed that Dvalishvili was heading into the fight battling antibiotics, pain, and a gruesome staph infection that risked his clearance. Despite the dire circumstances, Dvalishvili insisted on competing, showcasing his trademark toughness in a gritty five-round decision win.. Advertisement "Merab was half-dead for that fight,' Wood said during an interview with MMA Fighting. 'He had an open wound, he had a staph infection, he was on all kinds of antibiotics." Wood even admitted, 'If it was up to me, honestly, I probably would've pulled him out of the fight... That dude could barely walk, but then he'd go spar ten rounds and look phenomenal.' Ahead of his rematch with Sean O'Malley at UFC 316, a fight which some believe is UFC President Dana White's way of angling for a more marketable bantamweight champion, Wood believes that 'The Machine' will continue to leave fans in awe of his toughness and prove his doubters wrong. 'The way that Merab fights, what he brings to the table is just different. People do not understand it,' Wood remarked. 'Sean kind of knows that now. Tim [Welch] knows that... I think it's going to be even more defeating and deflating than it was the first time.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
UFC Fighter Ariane da Silva's Brain Tumor Made Weight Cut Impossible, Now Promotion May Cut Her After Third Consecutive Loss
UFC Fighter Ariane da Silva's Brain Tumor Made Weight Cut Impossible, Now Promotion May Cut Her After Third Consecutive Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. UFC fighters routinely push their bodies to dangerous extremes just to step on the scale—starving for weeks, sweating out water in saunas until they faint, and enduring kidney-straining dehydration protocols. The sport's weight-cutting culture forces athletes to gamble with their health, often walking the line between competition and hospitalization in pursuit of a size advantage. Advertisement These practices persist despite medical emergencies. Behind every weigh-in, there's often an untold story of suffering that does not get the spotlight as much as the knockout finishes and the trash talk. Dana WhiteGetty Images UFC flyweight Ariane da Silva's shocking six-pound weight miss ahead of her UFC 316 bout against Wang Cong was caused by complications from a benign pituitary tumor, her coach and husband Renato da Silva revealed during an interview with MMA Fighting. The Brazilian fighter, who tipped the scales at 132 pounds—well above the 126-pound non-title limit—underwent a dangerous weight cut attempt while managing hormonal imbalances triggered by the tumor. Advertisement Blood tests during her camp showed elevated prolactin and cortisol levels, leading to the discovery of the tumor, which disrupted her body's ability to shed weight safely. The situation worsened when da Silva's team enlisted a new nutritionist, whose strategy to retain water until the final days of the weight cut, backfired catastrophically. Renato described harrowing symptoms during the final push, including double vision, slurred speech, and loss of motor control—clear signs her body was shutting down. He emphasized that UFC medical staff intervened to halt the cut after deeming it life-threatening, saying, 'She wasn't walking right, blinking too slow, and couldn't focus.' Advertisement Her coach's decision to allow her to continue to fight despite these issues was baffling and was met with criticism by some people online. SportingNews journalist Val Dewar shared the interview on X (formerly Twitter), and expressed his opinion that 'Fighting with a tumor in your f— brain, even a benign one, seems like a bad Idea. Like, [a] really, really bad idea.' Her opponent Wang Cong was gracious enough to agree to a catchweight bout despite the weight disparity and accepted 30% of da Silva's purse. Wang also expressed sympathy on social media towards da Silva and her struggle trying to make weight, saying, 'After she came out, I went over to see her situation. Fortunately, there is no big problem, because it's not easy for every athlete.' Advertisement Da Silva ultimately lost a unanimous decision to Cong, extending her skid to three fights and putting her in the crosshairs of being cut from the promotion. The incident casts a spotlight on MMA's weight-cutting crisis, where fighters often gamble with extreme measures to hit weight targets before a fight. Da Silva's case is uniquely alarming due to the tumor's role, raising questions about whether she should have been cleared to fight at all. The UFC has yet to address if da Silva will receive medical suspension or specialized support moving forward. Related: UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski Suffers Medical Scare During Fight 'I could not see' Related: UFC Coach Reveals He Nearly Pulled Out 'Half-Dead' Champion from Title Defense Due to Severe Medical Issues This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
UFC 316 Nearly Derailed by Chaos as Crowd Barrier Collapses During Merab Dvalishvili's Walkout (Video)
UFC 316 Nearly Derailed by Chaos as Crowd Barrier Collapses During Merab Dvalishvili's Walkout (Video) originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When UFC fans attend an event, they anticipate knockouts and submissions, and rarely consider the unpredictable hazards that can occur due to negligence from event organizers. UFC athletes train to handle opponents, not collapsing barriers, rogue spectators, or last-minute logistical nightmares that test their focus. After last night, however, it seems like fighters will have to get used to adapting to whatever madness unfolds on fight night, as it is possible that chaos can erupt outside the Octagon before they face their opponent. Advertisement UFC 316's main event nearly turned disastrous before the fighters even reached the Octagon, as a railing collapsed during bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili's walkout, sending fans and a camera crew tumbling onto the walkway. UFC CEO Dana WhitePhoto by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Watch a clip of the incident here: Security personnel swiftly intervened, preventing the champion from being caught in the chaos, though a cameraman was knocked to the ground amid the scramble. 'Everybody was hanging over the edge, and it collapsed,' UFC CEO Dana White remarked at the post-fight press conference. 'Thank God this was a low one, not a high one.' Fortunately, no injuries were reported, though the UFC faced immediate scrutiny over venue safety protocols. Advertisement Merab Dvalishvili reacted to the UFC 316 barrier collapse with his trademark humor and professionalism. 'What happened was, I was walking and people [tried] to touch me and I [tried] to jump and touch them. I guess they pushed the barrier, and it went up,' Dvalishvili recalled. They almost kicked me in the head and knocked me out before I walked in.'' The champion's ability to shrug off the walkout chaos and dominate O'Malley, submitting him via third-round north-south choke, further cemented his reputation as one of MMA's most unflappable stars. Regarding his mental state after the incident, Merab said, 'I saw what happened, and I'm just a professional; there was nothing I could do at that time. I cannot really help people. This happened, and I had to make it to the octagon because I was fighting.' Advertisement Related: UFC Seattle Main Event Ends in Chaos Rematch Almost Certain Related: Dana White Adds Fuel to Jon Jones Retirement Rumors 'If He Wants to Retire, There's Nothing I Can Do" This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
