Daniel Cormier knows exactly where things went wrong for Ryan Bader.
The main event of UFC on FOX 18 ended in a flash when Anthony "Rumble" Johnson pummeled Bader into oblivion barely a minute into the first round of their fight. In his role as a commentator for FOX Sports, Cormier provided pre-fight analysis for the bout and a critique of Bader's performance after the show.
"We said that you have to take damage in order to get close to 'Rumble,'" Cormier said, according to Steven Marrocco of MMAjunkie.com. "You're not going to be free. You're going to get hit. You're going to feel it. You may get knocked down. But to get to him, you have to do it.
"(Johnson) understands wrestling. This guy wrestled in college. You can't shoot from halfway across the Octagon like Randy Couture did against James Toney. The shot, for me, was the end, seeing that. Seeing that panicked of a shot showed me that Ryan Bader could not compete against Anthony Johnson."
Cormier knows a thing or two about what it takes to conquer the explosive Johnson. The two clashed last May at UFC 187 in a fight for the vacant light heavyweight title. In the first round of that match, "Rumble" became the first fighter to score a knockdown against Cormier. That forced "DC" to reach down deep and rally for a third-round submission win.
Unlike Cormier, Bader rushed in to take Johnson down right out of the gate. His telegraphed attack was stuffed by Johnson, who eventually transitioned to Bader's back and punched him out.
"You cannot go into a fist fight with fear," Cormier said. "That shot was a man that was afraid to get hit by 'Rumble' Johnson."