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Daniel Cormier explains why he’s ‘upset’ with Tom Aspinall following controversial backstage chat

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Kyle Dimond | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 9:11 PM ET

UFC 321 was a difficult night for Tom Aspinall following high expectations.

Fortunately, it doesn’t look like Aspinall suffered any long-lasting damage after his first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title ended when he was poked in the eyes.

The Brit was incredibly frustrated in the immediate aftermath due to spending well over a year out of action, only for his fight with Ciryl Gane to end in disappointing circumstances.

While it seems likely that a rematch will be put together, Aspinall will need to serve a medical suspension before being cleared to return.

This setback comes after many believed that this could be the start of a truly special run for the champion.

Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Daniel Cormier defends his backstage comments by attempting to add more context

Some have claimed following UFC 321 that Ciryl Gane was on his way to beating Tom Aspinall following a strong showing in the opening round.

The first round was more competitive than people expected, but there were a lot of fans and fighters who expected it to be one-sided.

A video from backstage of fight week in Abu Dhabi led to Daniel Cormier receiving criticism for the way that he praised Aspinall as a champion.

The UFC legend, who seemingly didn’t know he was being recorded, spoke about how the Brit could put together a “crazy” title reign, having specifically downplayed Jailton Almeida as a challenger by stating that he “can’t fight”.

A behind the scenes conversation between Daniel Cormier and Tom Aspinall, with DC whispering "secretly" directly into Tom's microphone on his neck

"these matchups in this division, the type of run you could go on would be CRAZY"

Via: @AspinallMMA pic.twitter.com/8aTkLWRvTx
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) October 23, 2025

Cormier looked to address this when speaking on a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s ‘Good Guy / Bad Guy’.

‘DC’ said that along with him believing that it was a private conversation, he was “upset” with Aspinall because of the way that it was framed in the video which he says missed out some of the context.

“I was literally trying to tell him, ‘You could be on the verge of something tremendously special right now’. In that statement, I was saying, ‘Jailton’s going to grapple you. It’s not as dangerous a fight.’ I could have done a better job of saying that to Tom.

“Now, I was a little upset that Tom didn’t release that if I’m being honest with you. When you lean in to someone and you’re talking quietly, that’s a private conversation. That should stay between you and the athlete.”

Fans agreed with Daniel Cormier’s criticism of Jailton Almeida after UFC 321

It was very surprising to see a UFC commentator be so critical of a fighter on the card just days out from UFC 321.

That being said, many fans ended up agreeing with Daniel Cormier’s comments about Jailton Almeida following his loss this past Saturday night.

The Brazilian was beaten by Alexander Volkov in a split decision that certainly didn’t help his stock.

Almeida landed only nine significant strikes with no recorded submission attempts despite dominating the majority of the fight in top position with nearly 11 minutes of control time.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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