about 8 hours ago

Daniel Cormier Refuses to Claim Merab Dvalishvili as American Champion

Cormier dismissed ex-champion Chris Weidman's suggestions that Dvalishvili should be recognized as an American titleholder, stressing his Georgian roots. “I don’t claim him. The moment he comes up here with American accent, I’ll claim him. If he looks Georgian and sounds Georgian, he’s Georgian,” Cormier said. While Merab represents the UFC bantamweight division, Cormier insists his national identity remains clear.