'I think Gustafsson is overrated,' says Cormier

Cormier (photo) defends his belt against Gustafsson. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Daniel Cormier will defend his first belt this Saturday (3), at UFC 192, against one of the most overrated athletes in Ultimate today. At least in the opinion of the champion himself, who stated that the Swede's good reputation is not consistent with his achievements inside the octagon.

See too

Cormier evaluates light heavyweights: 'Me, Jones and then the rest'

Cormier hopes Jones 'becomes a better person'

Cormier sees himself at a psychological advantage for the fight with Gustafsson

Gustafsson has been acclaimed by MMA fans since he had a very close fight against Jon Jones, in September 2013. At the time, the Swede upset the then champion like no one had done before, but ended up being overcome in a tight decision by the judges.

For Cormier, this scenario exemplifies his opinion well. “This guy lost his biggest fights. Let's be realistic. To be honest, I think he's overrated. I think he is very dangerous, but for what he can do. The status he has is not equivalent to what he did in the octagon. It is the truth. I’ve never seen anyone in the UFC receive so much prestige for a fight they lost,” said Cormier, in an interview with the North American website “MMA Fighting”.

UFC 192 will be held in the city of Houston, Texas (USA). This will be Cormier's first title defense, who won the vacant title in May by beating Anthony Johnson. Gustafsson is coming off a defeat to the same Johnson in January.

Fatal change? Makhachev ignores warning and could end tragically at welterweight!