Daniel Cormier: Pay Demetrious Johnson as the #1 fighter in the world for once
Daniel Cormier puts blame on the UFC, says they should pay flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson $1 million for Dillashaw fight.
Daniel Cormier is sticking up for his fellow champion, Demetrious Johnson. The UFC Light Heavyweight champion believes that the UFC has not been creative enough in marketing Johnson, and that the #1 P4P fighter should get paid properly.
“The UFC doesn’t really understand how to market him because they have to get creative. I don’t know if they’ve gotten creative, but I do believe that DJ has done his part, so he has valid points.” Cormier said Wednesday on UFC Tonight.
“UFC, you want Demetrious Johnson to fight T.J. Dillashaw? Pay him $1 million and say, ‘That’s your fight’. I know it’s a lot for a 125lber. The guy’s the #1 P4P fighter in the world. Pay him the money. That’s all he wants, is the money. Pay him as the #1 fighter in the world for once.”
Cormier does point out that that Johnson’s size could play a major role in him not being a draw. He also talks about Johnson not fitting into any certain demographic that can be easily marketed.
“Everything combined, you gotta get tricky when marketing these small guys, especially an African American guy. The UFC doesn’t really know how to do that yet.”
Johnson has been involved in a war of words with the UFC after being pressured to take a fight against former Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw. In a lengthy statement earlier this week, Johnson spoke out against the UFC after feeling unfairly pressured into the fight.
“I feel like he does take the fights that they tell him to fight. I feel like he is the guy that’s there whenever they call him. DJ is by far the most active champion in the UFC,” Cormier said.
Cormier does understand that Johnson doesn’t have the type of star power that catapulted Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor to mainstream success.
“You have to have ‘it’. There’s more to just being good to getting PPV [points] and everything else. I think the responsibility for everything can be shared between Demetrious and the UFC.”