Cormier joked on the UFC Vegas 123 broadcast that 'certain people' say he is 'pretending to be a commentator', after Reyes graded him 'F+'; Smith defended his coach.
From 3 reports by 3 outletsLatest Cormier jokes on air he is 'pretending to be a commentator', a dig at Reyes 3 outlets
What we know
- Dominick Reyes graded Daniel Cormier's commentary 'F+' during his UFC 333 win over Azamat Murzakanov and criticized him on multiple occasions that week.
- Dan Hellie referred to Reyes as a name that 'rhymes with Rominick' while setting up Cormier's joke on air.
- Jacobe Smith, coached by Cormier, told MMA Fighting that critics get 'butt-hurt' and say things they don't mean.
- Smith took the Randy Brown fight at UFC Vegas 123 as a replacement for the injured Carlos Leal, with under two weeks' notice.
Daniel Cormier did not answer Dominick Reyes with a statement or a social media post. He did it on air, in the first minute of the UFC Vegas 123 broadcast at the Meta Apex.
Host Dan Hellie set it up on Halloween night, joking that Cormier was 'just dressing up as a commentator'. Cormier took the line and turned it around: if you ask certain people, he said, he is pretending to be a commentator. Hellie then made the target plain, saying one person who might say that has a name that rhymes with 'Rominick'.
The jab follows a week of criticism from Reyes. According to Bloody Elbow, Reyes went after Cormier's commentary on multiple occasions, and he graded it 'F+' after his first-round head-kick KO of Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 333 on Oct 26. Cormier, 47, is a former two-division UFC champion and has been on the commentary desk for years, though Bloody Elbow notes fans often judge his work harshly.
Cormier also has support from within his own gym. Jacobe Smith, whom Cormier coaches, told MMA Fighting that critics can get 'butt-hurt' and say things they don't mean. According to PRISE MMA's account of the interview, Smith put Reyes' comments down to frustration and described Cormier as calm and professional, including when public attention becomes heavy.
Smith had his own work on the card. He fought Randy Brown at UFC Vegas 123 after stepping in for the injured Carlos Leal on less than two weeks' notice. He had won his previous fight, a first-round KO of Bruce Whitehead at UFC 332 on Oct 3.
Neither Cormier nor Reyes has said more beyond the joke. If Reyes replies, it would add to a week in which Cormier is also still waiting on Jon Jones' pizza offer to end their separate feud.
Host Dan Hellie set it up on Halloween night, joking that Cormier was 'just dressing up as a commentator'. Cormier took the line and turned it around: if you ask certain people, he said, he is pretending to be a commentator. Hellie then made the target plain, saying one person who might say that has a name that rhymes with 'Rominick'.
The jab follows a week of criticism from Reyes. According to Bloody Elbow, Reyes went after Cormier's commentary on multiple occasions, and he graded it 'F+' after his first-round head-kick KO of Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 333 on Oct 26. Cormier, 47, is a former two-division UFC champion and has been on the commentary desk for years, though Bloody Elbow notes fans often judge his work harshly.
Cormier also has support from within his own gym. Jacobe Smith, whom Cormier coaches, told MMA Fighting that critics can get 'butt-hurt' and say things they don't mean. According to PRISE MMA's account of the interview, Smith put Reyes' comments down to frustration and described Cormier as calm and professional, including when public attention becomes heavy.
Smith had his own work on the card. He fought Randy Brown at UFC Vegas 123 after stepping in for the injured Carlos Leal on less than two weeks' notice. He had won his previous fight, a first-round KO of Bruce Whitehead at UFC 332 on Oct 3.
Neither Cormier nor Reyes has said more beyond the joke. If Reyes replies, it would add to a week in which Cormier is also still waiting on Jon Jones' pizza offer to end their separate feud.
- Summary
- Cormier joked on the UFC Vegas 123 broadcast that 'certain people' say he is 'pretending to be a commentator', after Reyes graded him 'F+'; Smith defended his coach.
- Key points (one per line)
- Cormier answered Dominick Reyes' criticism with a joke on the UFC Vegas 123 broadcast.
Host Dan Hellie nodded to Reyes with a name that 'rhymes with Rominick'.
Cormier's fighter Jacobe Smith told MMA Fighting that critics say things they don't mean.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- MMA Fighting | https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/518435/ufc-vegas-123s-jacobe-smith-reacts-to-dominick-reyes-talking-sht-about-coach-daniel-cormiers-commentary
PRISE MMA | https://www.actu-mma.com/actualites/jacobe-smith-defend-daniel-cormier-apres-les-critiques-de-dominick-reyes/
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/31/daniel-cormier-hits-out-at-commentary-critics-live-on-ufc-vegas-123-broadcast/
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Fighters in this story
Daniel Cormier
Dominick Reyes
Jacobe Smith
Conor McGregor
Azamat MurzakanovMore photos
Sources
Bloody Elbow
MMA Fighting
PRISE MMASummarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
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