UFC
Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader have heated exchange after UFC 187, Cormier calls Bader "easiest fight in the division"
May 24, 2015 - 1:55:27 AM Daniel Cormier and Ryan Bader have heated exchange after UFC 187, Cormier calls Bader "easiest fight in the division"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

After submitting Anthony Johnson on Saturday at UFC 187, Daniel Cormier immediately told Jon Jones to get his act together because he's waiting for him. However, that fight might not end up being next for Cormier.

At the post-fight press conference, Cormier made it clear he wants to fight Jones, but as he's expecting Jones to be out for some time, he's got his eyes on a different feud.

"I've been doing this for five years, and you guys know that competition drives me. I sat here five months ago crying in front of each and every one of you because that guy beat me," Cormier said. "So I would love to compete against him, but he's gonna be away for a while, so we've gotta shift our focus.

"There's somebody else that needs his ass kicked too. I think he's around here, that's Ryan Bader's ass, and I'm gonna beat the s*** out of him next time."

Bader was in attendance, and decided to chime in from the crowd, but Cormier had the mic so it was a bit of a one-sided conversation.

"You keep talking, Bader. Keep talking, Bader. Keep talking," Cormier fired off on the mic. "This guy's so disrespectful. I'm trying to fight Anthony Johnson, and Ryan Bader's writing me stupid messages on Twitter because he wants people to think that he deserves a title shot. Come on, Ryan, you can come and fight me, you're just gonna get your ass kicked like you were gonna do in June."

Bader continued to jaw at Cormier from the gallery, apparently suggesting Cormier had tried to avoid him by moving into the UFC 187 main event. Cormier got a bit heated from that, and laid down a fairly significant insult.

"I didn't get out of any fights. Ryan, I didn't get out of any fights. Not once did I say I didn't want to fight you," Cormier said. "I asked them to fight you because I just wanted an easy paycheck. I knew that I wanted to fight you. I asked to fight you multiple times."

At this point, Bader had advanced his way to the stage, leading Cormier to stand from his seat as he got even more animated.

"I asked to fight you. They said 'Daniel, what do you want?' I said, 'I want the easiest fight in the division, I want Ryan Bader.' ... Just give me my paychecks right now, Bader. Get your ass outta here right now, this is my press conference."

Penick's Analysis: While a fight between Cormier and Bader isn't really the most intriguing, they're doing an admirable job in trying to make it seem otherwise. It was another of those solid little moments that can make a fight more personal and entertaining than it might otherwise be, and if Jon Jones won't be back until late in the year at the earliest, it's entirely possible that Cormier-Bader happens for that title around Labor Day weekend.