Daniel Cormier's relationship with the UFC fan base has been a roller-coaster ride in recent years.
The light heavyweight champion saw himself become the target of much derision during the run-up to his long-awaited rematch with Jon Jones in July 2017, a turn of events that clearly confused Cormier, who continuously stated his disbelief at UFC fans embracing the controversial Jones over himself.
But, an endearing emotional reaction to his loss to Jones and the subsequent reveal that Jones tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs has helped shift fans' perceptions of Cormier. He received a standing ovation during the recent UFC 25th anniversary press conference and was lauded for his title defense against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220.
"I don't know what I did," Cormier said Tuesday, according to Dave Doyle of MMAFighting.com. "I didn't really do anything. I did the exact same thing. They decide when they like you and when they don't."
Cormier's boost in popularity has helped lead to a superfight with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, but he has no intention of creating a "fake" rivalry with his fellow TUF 27 coach.
"If it's not genuine, people can see through that," Cormier said. "If I start putting on that I hate Stipe Miocic, after going to Cleveland and doing a show on him and being around him and being friends with him, all of a sudden I hate him, people will be like 'what, that makes no sense.'"
Cormier added, "You're never going to tell people how to feel. I used to try to do that. If you told me there's something you don't like, I'm going to harp on that thing. I want a reaction. Whether it is positive or negative, I just want you to not be indifferent. As long as you care, that's good."
