UFC 207: I stopped Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt coming to blow outside the Octagon, says Daniel Cormier

Cormier had to split Cruz and Garbrandt up when the two came face-to-face at UFC 202

Cormier had to come between the pair to prevent any premature fireworks (Getty)

At a time when scuffles at press conferences are part and parcel of pre-fight hype, it is unusual to hear about such brawls occurring behind the scenes. This nearly happened, however, at UFC 202, when things got personal between Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt. Daniel Cormier was the brave man who risked it all by coming between them.

“Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt ran into each other when Cody was about to fight Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 202 in Las Vegas,” he recalls. Cormier, the current UFC light heavyweight champion and a former Olympic wrestler, is also a co-host for UFC Tonight on FOX Sports, so he gets to witness a lot of the chaos and commotion that goes on backstage.

“Dominick and I were actually doing our co-commentary, which is right next to the Octagon. Dominick and Cody passed each other and both came face to face. Cody is in a nice suit and Dominick is in a nice suit. And these two guys are in each other’s face now.”

In the build-up to Garbrandt’s fight with Mizugaki, Cruz had annoyed the Ohio bantamweight by claiming he had ‘daddy issues’. Then, come fight night, Garbrandt had walked through security while his entire fight team were held up being searched. Justin Buchholz, Garbrandt’s head coach, immediately knew what was on his fighter’s mind and shouted to Cormier: “God damn it, Danny! Grab Cody, he’s going after Cruz!”

“All of our bosses from the UFC and the TV bosses were there, but no one knew what to do,” Cormier remembers, recollecting the moment everyone else froze and it appeared that the pair were going to go at it outside of the Octagon.

“Everyone just kind of stood back. It got to the point that I thought I had to get in the middle and separate those two guys. If it wasn’t for me at UFC 202, I think Dominick and Cody would’ve fought in August because none of our bosses and TV crew was willing to actually get in the middle of two 135-pound men.

If it wasn’t for me at UFC 202, I think Dominick and Cody would’ve fought in August...

Daniel Cormier

“I thought that was funny because these are big guys, these aren’t little guys back there backstage. But they all stood there with their hands in their pockets not sure how to break it up and stop the fight. And I ended it up stopping it. I actually made them wait for UFC 207.”

Cormier’s story is believable given the 14-and-a-half stone light heavyweight’s impressive background and standing in the UFC. He is currently rated as the third-best pound-for-pound fighter in the organisation and has only suffered one loss in his entire professional mixed martial arts career.

This was not his first experience in dealing with a pre-fight altercation. Back in 2014, ahead of UFC 178, Cormier was involved in a brawl with Jon Jones during a press conference. The scuffle, which saw Cormier shove Jones in the throat, resulted in both fighters being fined and given community service.

Garbrandt took offence to Cruz claiming he had 'daddy issues' (Getty)

Eventually, Cormier fought and lost to Jones by unanimous decision at UFC 182. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night and a rematch has been on the cards for a long time now, yet injuries sustained by both fighters have seen this eagerly anticipated match-up be delayed several times. Jones is currently on a year’s suspension for a Usada anti-doping policy violation.

From representing his country in the Olympics to facing the likes of Jones in the cage to splitting up Cruz and Garbrandt, Cormier is a man that has had to take charge of his emotions. So does he ever feel fear before a fight?

“I don’t really fear anything, honestly. When it comes to another human being I don’t fear any man. I wouldn’t call it fear but nerves. I get competitive nerves. But I need those nerves.

“When I’m in the back getting ready to fight my hair starts to stand up on my arms and everywhere, and I know that I’m nervous because I am ready to compete. It’s a relief when I walk up to those steps. But I never really feel fear.”

Dominick Cruz will defend his bantamweight title against Cody Gabrandt on 30 December at UFC 207.