Daniel Cormier always has a knack for drawing laughs, whether inside the cage or behind the commentary desk. But this time, he found himself on the receiving end of some good-natured ribbing! UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, known more for his stoic demeanor than his humor, turned up the charm with some cheeky banter aimed at his friend and mentor, Cormier. What started as a discussion about weight quickly spiraled into a viral exchange that had fans rolling in laughter!

In a series of posts shared on Instagram by ESPN MMA, Cormier was featured getting verbally jabbed up by the Dagestani champion. The caption read, “Islam said DC needs to lose weight then he called the champ a ‘weight bully’ for weighing 180 lbs 😂 These two are pure comedy.” So, what went down between the two?

In a one-on-one interview to build up the hype for Makhachev’s upcoming UFC 311 title defense against Arman Tsarukyan, the champion asked Cormier to visit his training camp. Why? Makhachev cheekily stated, “It’s going to be also very good for you brother, lose weight.” While Cormier was visibly amused at the comment, he responded by defending himself as he stated, “Hey you know we gotta stop talking about my weight because you look like you put on a few pounds.”

Makhachev countered with his trademark composure, casually revealing he weighed 180 pounds. Cormier, incredulous, exclaimed, “180 and you fight at 155? Weight bully! That’s what you are!”

The back-and-forth was as lighthearted as it was comedic. Fans couldn’t get enough, flocking to social media to share their reactions, and here’s a look at what the netizens had to say!

Islam Makhachev’s verbal sparring with Daniel Cormier leaves the MMA sphere clutching its sides

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad couldn’t help but roll on the floor in laughter as he shared a series of crying, laughing emojis. The post also contained a clip of Islam Makhachev taking a shot at Daniel Cormier’s ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ podcast that he hosts with Chael Sonnen. Makhachev pointed out, “You have to change the name to your podcast, Fat Guy and Bad Guy, more cool!”

“@bullyb170: “😂😂😂”

Fans also didn’t hold back against Cormier as they claimed that the former ‘champ-champ’ looked to be getting “sensitive” about his weight. A fact that Makhachev seems determined to remind him of every time he gets a chance.

“DC getting all sensitive”

Others were happy that because of Islam Makhachev improving his English, the Dagestani champion has showed another side of himself to the MMA sphere. In fact, in a previous conversation on the aforementioned ‘Good Guy/ Bad Guy’ podcast, Cormier had confessed, “That guy is so charismatic, and he is so secretly funny. If he was to do a heel turn, I mean, come on. He said one of the great heel lines ever. He said a whole bunch of professors should be taking their black belts back from guys.” Well, it seems that the advice backfired on Cormier as he ended up in Islam Makhachev’s crosshairs instead.

“Islam learning English is the best thing to ever happen to MMA.”

Some fans even floated creative ideas, like turning Cormier and Makhachev into a buddy-cop duo, highlighting the undeniable chemistry between the two. What do you think about a ‘Lethal Weapon’ or ‘Rush Hour’ re-boot with the two MMA stars?

“We need a buddy cop movie with DC and Islam”

The weight bully remarks, while made by Cormier in jest, were also a point of contention for some fans. Colby Covington has been vocal about the Dagestani champion’s weight cutting giving him an advantage over other fighters in the division. Makhachev’s response? In a recent interview with Match TV, the lightweight champion fired back and stated, “Everyone cuts weight. For example, Kamaru Usman weighs more than 90kg. He is huge. I do not weigh 86kg. My maximum weight when I train is 82-83kg. (His comments don’t bother me), why should it bother me?”

“If you can make the weight and perform at the highest level, you are not a weight bully.”

To wrap things up, Islam Makhachev’s ability to slip humor into his typically reserved personality has caught fans by surprise. This lighthearted moment shows another side to the champion—a side that could win over even more fans. While Sonnen and Cormier envision Makhachev embracing a trash-talking heel persona, it seems his straightforward, unfiltered style might be the golden ticket! So, what’s next for this dynamic duo? More laughs? More banter? Or maybe that buddy-cop movie fans are already dreaming of? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!