Daniel Cormier: ‘Alexander Gustafsson Does Not Deserve to Fight for an Interim Title’
As Daniel Cormier sits just over a week away from his attempt to become a two-weight world champion, he doesn’t to hear anything about an interim tile being introduced at light heavyweight.
In recent months, top ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson has suggested an interim belt being put up for grabs while Cormier is focused on the heavyweight division with his upcoming fight against Stipe Miocic.
Cormier has scoffed at that idea in the past and rebuked the suggestion once again on Thursday when asked about Gustafsson’s request to fight for an interim belt in his absence.
“It would bother me because Alexander Gustafsson does not deserve to fight for an interim title,” Cormier responded on the UFC 226 media conference call. “I fought for the belt just at the beginning of the year and went up to chase something so much bigger. So no, he doesn’t deserve an interim title. He fought last May against Glover Teixeira then he beat Jan Blachowicz before. It’s like that was two years ago, he’s fought twice in two years. You know that since Alexander and I fought in October 2015, I fought Anderson Silva, [Anthony] “Rumble” Johnson, Jon Jones, and Volkan Oezdemir. And this dude has fought Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira and that’s it.
“That’s two times in the last three years. Why would he be fighting for the title? That makes no sense.”
Cormier also lashed out at the media for asking about interim titles, which he believes plays a part in those belts eventually being introduced.
Of course, Cormier endured an awkward segment as he co-hosted “UFC Tonight” a few months ago where he engaged in a back and forth war of words with Gustafsson, who was a guest on the show that night.
Cormier’s stance back then is the same as now — Gustafsson shouldn’t get a title shot and there definitely shouldn’t be an interim belt introduced after he just defended the title in January.
“I told him don’t try to will yourself into a championship,” Cormier said. “You had two shots. You lost.”
As for Gustafsson’s return to action, he’s been rumored for a fight at UFC 227 in August but there’s been no luck in finding him an opponent as the event draws near.
