Daniel Cormier explains why he’s glad he made Gina Carano mad

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier made waves recently when he called out WMMA pioneer Gina Carano for her advice to Ronda Rousey following her UFC 207 loss to Amanda Nunes to close out 2016.

Carano stated that Rousey should follow what she wants to do, insinuating that she should follow her passion for acting, which didn’t sit too well with Cormier. He fired back on UFC Tonight:

“Gina Carano — who are you to tell Ronda Rousey what to do?” Cormier said on “UFC Tonight.” “If I’ve got to look back on your career and you choosing to act over fighting and continuing to fight, I don’t feel as though, guys — and you can disagree if you want — that the career has not been what it would have been if she stayed fighting.”

“Ronda, don’t listen to someone that I feel didn’t make the right choice,” Cormier said about Carano. “Do what I say and that means continuing to fight. It’s where you belong. It is where you belong Ronda Rousey.

Carano of course was quick to check Daniel Cormier, stating that he should be “ashamed” of his comments.

The light heavyweight champion now fired back in an interview with TMZ:

“She can’t really advise Ronda in terms of fighting, because when it got tough, she left. It’s not in my character to walk away when things get tough, so I’m saying, why does that opinion matter? We don’t want Ronda to do what you did, because you left!”

“That’s the Gina Carano I tuned in to watch—the fiery Gina Carano, the girl that’s showing some gumption,” said Cormier. “Maybe I’ll piss her off enough that she goes, ‘You know what, I’m gonna go and fight again and prove that I didn’t run away from the sport.'”

on 1/28/2017.