Daniel Cormier Admits He Wanted to Slap Conor McGregor for ‘Hillbilly’ Insult

UFC veteran Daniel Cormier talks about getting roasted by Conor McGregor and wanting to slap him for the viral trash-talk.

Daniel Cormier Admits He Wanted to Slap Conor McGregor for ‘Hillbilly’ Insult

Daniel Cormier talks about Conor McGregor trash-talking him (Via X)

Daniel Cormier has spent many years in the UFC, first dominating as a fighter and later becoming a prominent veteran commentator. During his prime, DC battled elite competition, sharing the octagon with legends like Jon Jones and heavyweight great Stipe Miocic.

Despite numerous trash-talking exchanges throughout his career, the verbal exchange with Conor McGregor remains his most famous and widely remembered moment. In his prime days, Conor McGregor was an absolute savage on the mic and often had beef with other fighters.

McGregor was smooth with trash-talking, something that helped him gain millions of fans and take UFC to the next level. In a recent interview, DC talked in detail about how he was a victim of McGregor’s trash talking once, despite not fighting him directly. 

Some of the trash talk hurts. You know what was bad? Conor McGregor was fighting Dustin Poirier, and Dustin Poirier and I are both from Lafayette, Louisiana. Conor called Dustin a hillbilly. I said, ‘If Dustin’s a hillbilly and I am from the same place as him, what does that make me?’ He said, ‘You a ghetto hillbilly’. Wanted to slap him, but he was small. I can’t get him at 145 pounds. I am a heavyweight. I wanted to slap him.

Daniel Cormier via Paramount UFC 

This incident occurred in 2014 when Conor McGregor fought Dustin Poirier in a featherweight bout, winning decisively via TKO. ‘The Notorious’ then surged forward, capturing the featherweight title before defeating Eddie Alvarez to secure the UFC lightweight championship. That historic triumph made McGregor the first double champion in UFC history, a rare feat later matched by Daniel Cormier.

Poirier and McGregor later fought twice more, with ‘The Diamond’ ultimately earning redemption by decisively winning their intense rivalry series. In their most recent clash, McGregor suffered a broken leg against Poirier, marking a dramatic and controversial fight-ending moment. Even after injury, his relentless trash talk continued, as McGregor launched personal jabs, fueling animosity and headlines. 

Why Daniel Cormier regretted shaking hands with Conor McGregor 

Daniel Cormier is a close friend of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, sharing years of respect and brotherhood. Both trained together for years at American Kickboxing Academy in California, pushing each other daily through intense wrestling and conditioning sessions. Cormier was present when Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229, a fight followed by a massive post-fight brawl.

Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Conor McGregor at UFC 229
Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Conor McGregor at UFC 229 (via X)

During the chaos after the fight, DC stayed close to Nurmagomedov and helped calm ‘The Eagle’ amid emotions flaring. According to Cormier, it was the best night of UFC, which created history and changed the promotion. In an interview, the veteran explained Nurmagomedov was unhappy when Cormier briefly greeted McGregor following their rivalry. 

I saw Conor McGregor in Abu Dhabi, maybe when he was fighting Dustin Poirier. We were shaking hands, talking a little bit, and very kind of chummy. And Khabib was like, ‘Brother, I don’t understand this! If I see Conor with his wife, I’ll shake his hand, because that’s what you’re supposed to do. But brother…’. And I initially kind of fought it, but look at the stance he’s taken in regards to everyone you deal with, why wouldn’t you take that same stance?

Daniel Cormier via YouTube

Daniel Cormier explained how Khabib Nurmagomedov stopped talking to Jon Jones because ‘Bones’ has had a longstanding beef with him. Team Khabib always respected Jones as a fighter but never publicly interacted with the veteran due to loyalty to team ties.

Recently, Islam Makhachev jokingly told DC he could beat Jones in a potential wrestling bout someday. MMA fans often enjoy seeing DC hang out with Team Khabib mutual respect. As such, Cormier might not ever have any interaction with McGregor moving forward after his testimony.

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