Despite the criticism surrounding the interim title fight at UFC 324, Daniel Cormier thinks everything worked out perfectly.
Many fans and pundits took umbrage with Arman Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) not being a part of the interim lightweight title fight and the UFC opting to go with Justin Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) vs. Paddy Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC).
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But with Gaethje defeating Pimblett to claim the interim belt last month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Cormier said the UFC now has another American champion. Gaethje expects his title-unification bout with lightweight champ Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) to land on the UFC’s White House event in June.
“It feels like that’s a massive fight that is worthy of being on such a massive card,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “And with Topuria being who he is, with Gaethje being who he is, an American guy holding a UFC title – look, the UFC booked Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje. (If) Paddy Pimblett won, you had a star who was going to fight Ilia for the belt.
“Justin Gaethje won, (and) now you have an American guy holding a portion of a title with a fight at the White House that is going to happen in June. It was a no-lose situation, and honestly I don’t know how we missed it. Everybody’s like, ‘Well, why is that dude, why isn’t it Arman?’ Now it kind of makes sense because now that Gaethje has the belt, you’ve got an American guy holding a title going into the White House. It worked one way or the other. Now it makes more sense to me.”
The only other current American UFC champion is women’s bantamweight title holder Kayla Harrison, who recently withdrew from her first title defense against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 after undergoing neck surgery. Her timetable for a return is unknown.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC analyst: Justin Gaethje title shot benefited White House card