Dominick Reyes didn’t hold back when it came to addressing Daniel Cormier’s commentary following his knockout victory at UFC 333. After dispatching Azamat Murzakanov with a devastating head kick and follow-up strikes in the opening round, Reyes found himself in a heated exchange with the former two-division champion that went far beyond typical post-bout banter.
The tension spilled over onto social media, where Reyes made his frustrations crystal clear. “My name is Dominick not Kid,” he wrote in response to Cormier. “Yeah I heard your commentary tonight on my match. How about the part where Paul called you out for your clear bias? And what did you do? You laughed about it.”
The 36-year-old’s grievances went deeper than a simple nickname dispute. Reyes accused Cormier of showing favoritism toward athletes from the Caucasus region.
“I’m bothered by your lack of research and knowledge whilst commentating,” Reyes continued. “Your ‘expert’ commentary sways the opinions of average fans, and that has a profound effect on our lives. Your clear bias towards athletes from the caucus region is frustrating, especially being an American athlete.”
Cormier attempted to defuse the situation, emphasizing that he had praised Reyes’ performance and meant no disrespect with his choice of words.
“Yo dom chill. I don’t call you kid negatively. I’ve only spoke truth to you. When you do some amazing [ ] like you did today I praise you,” Cormier responded. He added that he had told Reyes’ team the performance might have been his best ever.
But Reyes wasn’t interested in making peace.
“I’m not your buddy guy. But seriously, I don’t care if you like me, truly. I only care that you have unbiased well informed color commentary,” he fired back, making it clear this wasn’t about personal relationships but professional standards.
The confrontation overshadowed what should have been a straightforward celebration of Reyes’ return to form. Competing in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, he delivered a statement performance against the hard-hitting Murzakanov. The finish came midway through the first round when Reyes connected with a thunderous head kick that sent his opponent reeling. A crushing straight punch followed, putting Murzakanov on the canvas.
What happened next showed both Reyes’ awareness and the sometimes unclear nature of referee intervention. He initially held back, waiting to see if Mike Beltran would step in. When the official allowed the action to continue, Reyes unloaded with several ground strikes as Murzakanov covered up without mounting an intelligent defense, finally prompting Beltran to wave off the contest.
With momentum firmly on his side for the first time in years, Reyes wasted no time calling his shots for what comes next. During his post-bout interview with Cormier before their social media confrontation, he made his intentions clear.
“I like No. 3 or No. 4. You know that’s Paulo and Khalil. Let’s get some action out here,” he said, referring to Paulo Costa and Khalil Rountree Jr.
