Ben Askren backs Daniel Cormier after UFC fan mocks him over Merab Dvalishvili takedowns

Daniel Cormier, the former UFC double champion and Olympic wrestler, needed only one single word to answer a fan who said Merab Dvalishvili is a better wrestler than him. During the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast, Cormier said that many of Merab’s takedowns at UFC 320 were actually just “mat returns” and should not count as new takedowns in the scoring system.

A fan on X slammed him saying, “Merab is the wrestler you wish you were.” Cormier only replied — “Yes.”

Daniel Cormier explains why UFC scoring is wrong

Daniel Cormier said that UFC judges count every mat return as a new takedown, which he believes is wrong. A mat return means the bottom fighter stands up but gets dragged back down without escaping control. Daniel Cormier said Merab Dvalishvili scored 20 takedowns against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, but most were just quick mat returns and should count as only one true takedown.

Daniel Cormier said this is a faulty scoring system and it makes the numbers look unrealistic. The fan tried mocking him, but instead of arguing or proving his awards, Cormier simply said “Yes.” The reply went viral because of how calm and confident it was.Daniel Cormier is one of the most decorated wrestlers in UFC history. He finished 4th in the 2004 Athens Olympics, won a bronze medal at the 2007 Wrestling World Championships, made the U.S.

World team four times, and is a five-time U.S. national champion.

Ben Askren supports Daniel Cormier’s view on takedown rules

Ben Askren, another former Olympian and one of the best wrestlers in MMA history, fully agreed with Daniel Cormier. Askren replied to the same X segment and said judges should not count every mat return as a new takedown.Ben Askren wrote, “They score a mat return as a takedown, the bottom person needs to completely clear control before another TD should be able to be established! DC is 100% correct.”Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka reunites with best friend Paula Badosa in Dubai after the Spaniard’s emotional split with Stefanos Tsitsipas Ben Askren is a two-time NCAA Division-1 wrestling champion, was on the U.S. team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and has a 19-2 pro MMA record with world titles in different organizations.Both Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren are Olympic-level wrestlers, and now both are openly asking the UFC to fix the takedown scoring system so the numbers in fights reflect real control and not just quick drag-downs.