Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren were not buying the matchmaking at MVP MMA 1, even after the event delivered big finishes and plenty of viral traffic.
The criticism carries weight because both men know the high-end MMA game. Cormier retired with a 22-3 record and one no contest after holding UFC titles at light heavyweight and heavyweight, while Askren retired 19-2 with one no contest after title runs in Bellator and ONE Championship. Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion at the center of Askren’s point, is now listed at 19-3 in MMA after his MVP MMA 1 win.
The clip showed Cormier and Askren reacting to the MVP MMA 1 card after a night that included Ronda Rousey submitting Gina Carano in 17 seconds, Francis Ngannou knocking out Philipe Lins, and Mike Perry stopping Nate Diaz. The problem, according to Cormier, was not the names. It was the lack of real danger going both ways.
Askren opened the segment by setting up the topic, saying, “We talked about a few of the individual matchups.”
Cormier then unloaded on how lopsided the card felt.
“Yeah. I mean, incredibly one-sided was the biggest thing that comes to mind,” Cormier said. “You know, there wasn’t a singular fight that was moderately competitive on the card.”
Here’s the full clip:
https://x.com/DovySimuMMA/status/2056168989542498682
Cormier said finishes are great, but an MMA event still needs actual pushback from both sides.
“And, you know, we need the highlights. We need the knockouts. We need these spectacular things,” Cormier said. “But the best thing we can get is a back-to-back, like a back-and-forth fight.”
That is where Cormier drew a line between MMA and boxing matchmaking. MVP comes from Jake Paul’s boxing world, where highlight-reel mismatches can still serve a clear business purpose. Cormier argued that MMA does not work the same way when the fighters are already well-known veterans.
“It’s not boxing, right?” Cormier said. “In boxing, you build athletes by them kind of crushing people that aren’t on their level necessarily. But so many of these fighters on that card were already established stars, right? They’re on the back end of their careers. So there is no star building.”
Ben Askren Says Francis Ngannou Has The Same Problem He Had In ONE Championship
Cormier’s biggest point was that established fighters deserved more competitive opponents, not showcase spots dressed up as major fights.
“So these guys and women, for me, it felt like they should have had the opportunity to fight someone in somewhat of a competitive fight,” Cormier said.
Askren agreed, then connected the MVP MMA problem to his own career after leaving Bellator. Askren said he thought about Francis Ngannou, who left the UFC in 2023 and has since fought outside the UFC structure.
“Yeah. Well, I thought about that, Daniel,” Askren said. “And actually, you know, that was one of my big issues when Dana wouldn’t sign me in 2013, and then I went to ONE Championship.”
Askren said Ngannou’s issue is not talent. It is finding opponents who can make the fight feel like a real threat.
“And, you know, so I was thinking of Francis,” Askren said. “And this has been Francis’ problem ever since he left the UFC, which maybe it’s been like three or four years now. It feels like a little while. But you need dance partners.”
Askren then used his own ONE Championship run to explain the point.
“And when I left Bellator and went to ONE Championship, I just didn’t have anyone who could really fight with me,” Askren said. “So it was hard to build it, you know?”
That comparison is rough for MVP MMA, because Ngannou is still one of the scariest heavyweights alive. If the promotion cannot find opponents who make him sweat, the finishes may look brutal, but the tension disappears fast.
Askren ended by saying Ngannou is stuck in the same kind of matchmaking trap.
“And Francis is in the exact same situation where he’s got no one that can really fight with him,” Askren said. “And you need that to build a star.”
MVP MMA 1 clearly got people talking. Jon Jones even praised the production and said the event was “actually better than the UFC”. Cormier and Askren are looking at the other side of the cage. Big entrances and fast finishes help, but if every fight feels decided before the first exchange, MMA fans are going to notice.
