Daniel Cormier couldn’t be happier for his buddy Ryan Clark, who just became one of the NFL’s highest-paid analysts at ESPN. Clark, a former Super Bowl champ, has made quite the name for himself in the world of sports media, co-hosting the popular show “DC & RC” alongside Cormier and providing top-notch NFL coverage. When he heard the news, Cormier had a simple, funny, three-word reaction.
It’s clear DC is all about supporting his friend’s success, and Clark’s new deal is well-deserved recognition for his hard work and expertise on and off the field. It appears as though news travels extremely slow to Cormier.
Clark inked his new deal back in February this year. However, Cormier saw a post on Instagram of Clark’s new deal and shared it on his stories with the caption,
“My Dawg RC”
Daniel Cormier on Instagram pic.twitter.com/B4pUGXyWYG
— MMAFanatic (@FanaticMma10) September 25, 2024
After airing his grievances publicly on February 14, Clark secured a new deal with the network. According to The Athletic, Clark has verbally agreed to a contract that will pay him over $2 million a year, making him one of ESPN’s highest-paid NFL analysts. Clark’s previous deal had left him feeling undervalued, and so, he didn’t hold back, saying he “felt played” and was willing to walk away from negotiations.
“It wasn’t what I wanted… I just want what I’m worth.”
Now, it seems he’s getting exactly that. The new contract also lets him continue hosting his podcast, “The Pivot,” and working on The CW’s “Inside the NFL“.
The former NFL star been with ESPN since 2015 after a successful 13-year football career. And now, he is one of the best analysts on the platform, who’s never shied away from saying anything he feels is true.
And that seemed to have also rubbed off on DC as he does not shy away from speaking his mind when it comes to the UFC.
DC pinpoints the problem with UFC champions
DC thinks today’s UFC champions are lacking the star power that once defined the sport. Reflecting on the past, he recalls when names like Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and Brock Lesnar were must-see attractions who drew fans in by the millions.
On the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ podcast, Cormier said, “It used to be that every champ was a blockbuster. Now, it’s different”.
He feels only Jon Jones and Alex Pereira are really “moving the needle” these days. The UFC’s biggest draws, like Conor McGregor and Israel Adesanya, aren’t holding titles right now, and even popular fighters like Sean O’Malley are coming off losses.
“Right now, Jon Jones is a proven draw, and under the right circumstances, so is Pereira,” Cormier added. “But when you look at other champions, it’s hard to say who else can sell pay-per-views”.
Cormier believes the UFC is missing those larger-than-life stars. That could, of course, change if the company invested in more PR for the fighters and builds them as superstars. Unfortunately advertisers don’t normally line up when half the roster is saying bigoted things one way or another like its the 1800s.
