“Nobody’s disappointed” - Daniel Cormier gives his take on UFC’s feelings about Francis Ngannou’s boxing success

Daniel Cormier is a noted company man, and has previously expressed his desire to one day become the UFC president (now UFC CEO). Thus, it stands to reason that many fans wondered how disappointed both he and the UFC must have been with Francis Ngannou's exceptional performance against Tyson Fury.

Ahead of the Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury boxing match, Daniel Cormier was one of several combat sports figures who gave the former UFC heavyweight almost no chance of beating Fury. Naturally, given how well Ngannou fought, many have wondered how Cormier and the UFC feel about the situation.

According to Daniel Cormier himself, he not only feels that the bout helped elevate the sport of MMA, but that the UFC will just ultimately move on:

"It was massive for Francis financially and for his profile, which is the best thing that could happen. But, the UFC is just gonna move on. I know from being there and being involved, and just kind of knowing. Nobody's disappointed. Nobody's disappointed. If anything, it just really does help elevate the sport, and I think that's what's important, at least to me."

Despite the widespread belief that Ngannou beat Fury and was robbed of a split-decision win by the judges, Cormier believes that Ngannou lost the fight, saying the following:

"I said I thought Francis lost. That, by no means, means that I am hating on Francis. I just scored rounds a different way. But, boy, what a performance he had, man. He looked like he belonged, I was so happy for him. I was so proud of him."

His opinion on the bout, while unpopular, is shared by reigning UFC bantamweight champion, Sean O'Malley, who recently confessed, on The MMA Hour, to having misjudged Francis Ngannou's UFC exit.

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Have Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou ever fought?

While the idea of Daniel Cormier taking on Francis Ngannou was once a tempting matchup in the minds of fans, the two have never actually locked horns. The closest to Cormier even entertaining an interest in facing Ngannou comes from 'The Predator's' stunning knockout win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

After the Cameroonian's victory, Paul Felder joked with 'DC' about understanding why he retired from fighting, to which Cormier claimed that he was not fearful of Ngannou. However, nothing ever came of that, and Cormier has stuck to retirement.