Daniel Cormier recently opened up about being frustrated when a private conversation with Tom Aspinall ended up online. Ahead of UFC 321, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion interviewed Aspinall as part of fight-week media. After the formal interview concluded, Cormier spoke with Aspinall privately, offering praise for his potential and discussing upcoming matchups.
What Cormier thought was a personal exchange was later uploaded to Aspinall’s YouTube channel, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at fight week. The footage included moments from training, interviews, and the private chat that Cormier assumed would remain confidential.
“I was literally trying to tell him you could possibly be on the verge of something tremendously special right now,”
Cormier said on Good Guy Bad Guy.“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.”
Cormier’s Reaction to the Leak
Seeing the conversation appear online caught Cormier by surprise, and he admitted it left him a little upset.
“Now I was a little upset that Tom and them released that, if I’m being honest with you,” Cormier explained.
“I thought when you lean into someone and you’re talking quietly, that’s a private conversation that should stay between you and the athlete. I thought it was Embedded, and I know Embedded would never do something like that.”
Aspinall has not publicly explained why he included the clip, though he did note that Cormier complimented him as a potential all-time great in the heavyweight division.
Clarifying the Comments
Cormier emphasized that the remarks in the leaked conversation were not meant to insult anyone. He described the discussion as analytical, focused on fighting styles and strategy, rather than criticism.
“Regardless of what you’re saying, whether you’re saying it in jest or you’re being honest, Jailton Almeida deserves respect, and I do respect him and I feel bad,” Cormier said.
“He’s been so nice to me since he got into the UFC, and I think Jailton Almeida’s a great guy.”
He explained that his point was about the balance of control and offense in high-level fights.
“I think that he does need to round out his game,” Cormier said.
“Because the grappling is elite, but there’s no damage. Even Dana [White] went up there after the fight and was like, ‘I’m so glad that Volkov won because you don’t just get to take somebody down and hold them down.’”
The incident left Cormier reflecting on the ease with which private conversations can reach the public. While he stands by the substance of his comments, he wishes that private discussions between fighters and analysts could remain personal.
“You sign up to go fight,” Cormier concluded.
“You have to fight. You really just have to go out there and fight. I think Jailton’s going to watch that last fight and be very upset about that performance and not getting the decision.”
After UFC 321, Aspinall went straight to the hospital. On Sunday, he shared a short video on his Instagram page, providing fans with his immediate thoughts backstage and some details from his hospital visit.
