"That's the unfortunate part of mixed martial arts" - Daniel Cormier breaks down why Nassourdine Imavov might not be Khamzat Chimaev's next challenger

Daniel Cormier recently explained why Nassourdine Imavov may not be the next in line for Khamzat Chimaev's first title defense. According to the former UFC double champion, MMA fans would wait for the upcoming matchup between two more elite contenders before making a decision on title contention.

Imavov displayed his striking prowess and secured a unanimous decision win over Caio Borralho at UFC Paris on Saturday at the Accor Arena in Paris. Following his convincing victory, 'The Sniper' called out Chimaev, arguing that he should receive the next title shot.

However, Cormier believes otherwise. The UFC Hall of Famer posted a YouTube video discussing how the winner of the Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez bout at UFC Vancouver on Oct. 18 may also be eligible for the middleweight gold:

''When you're in the situation that Imavov was in tonight and you get a dominant win like that, 4-1 on two scorecards, 5-0 on one scorecard, that's a dominant win over a very good guy but is it enough? You always wonder, especially if you're the first guy out trying to make a statement. What do you need to do to really solidify yourself? Is it enough to make people go, I don't care what I see in Hernandez versus 'RDR' ? I know that I watch my number one contender fight when I watch UFC Paris.''

He continued:

''But, being that he [Imavov] was first, being that he was dominant, I think today people will rush to say he's number one contender. But I think that because it wasn't a finish between either, obviously [Imavov] got the victory. I think people will want to wait and see if 'Fluffy' can replicate what he did in the last fight, they'll go that's more impressive. I think he [Imavov] did amazing, but I don't know if it solidified him and that's an unfortunate part of mixed martial arts.''

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (4:38):

---

Joe Rogan discusses potential opponents for Khamzat Chimaev's first title defense

Nassourdine Imavov's impressive victory at UFC Paris sparked reactions from many, including No. 4-ranked middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder, who took to X and made a jab towards the Frenchman.

De Ridder has the opportunity to overtake Imavov and solidify his position as the first title challenger for Khamzat Chimeav if he defeats Anthony Hernandez in a more spectacular fashion at UFC Vancouver next month.

In a recent JRE Fight Companion episode, Joe Rogan said:

''Well, who else then? Who’s getting Khamzat next? It really depends what (Reinier De Ridder vs Anthony Hernandez) looks like, right, because this was a fu*king war.'' [3:19:18 of the video]