Niko Price did not receive the farewell many expected at UFC Seattle—and Daniel Cormier has explained why. ‘The Hybrid’ stepped in on short notice for his final battle against Michael Chiesa, knowing it would be his last in the Octagon. But following a swift first-round submission defeat, what happened next became the bigger talking point.

Despite being a 20-plus bout UFC veteran who announced his retirement in the cage, Niko Price was left without a post-fight interview. Instead, the attention stayed firmly on Chiesa, who was given a full send-off in front of his home crowd. That decision didn’t sit well with many fans, especially how the moment played out.

Niko Price even remained in the cage during Chiesa’s interview, clearly waiting for his turn to speak—which never came. Daniel Cormier has now addressed the situation, admitting it felt awkward as he explained his reasoning.

“It was kind of weird, man,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I didn’t know what I was going to do about Niko Price. He was retiring too, but I just didn’t feel like you could interview him after you interview Michael in this situation.”

In his mind, the emotion surrounding Michael Chiesa’s farewell made it impossible to switch gears immediately. But the fans weren’t buying it. Not even close.” “This still pisses me off,” one wrote. Another went straight at Cormier: “You’re a clown for this.”

Others described it as outright disrespect. One fan commented, “That s— pissed me off. Such disrespect,” while another claimed that Niko Price getting snubbed only ended up helping the fighter, “Ironically, the backlash to Niko Price not getting an interview may have ended up giving him more attention involving his retirement.”

Many felt Price, who had over 20 UFC fights on short notice and retired the same night, deserved at least a brief interview on the mic. So, they just questioned the order. “Just interview him first,” one comment said.

Another added, “How hard is it to say, ‘Let’s give it up for Niko Price’ and then move on?” The solution seemed simple to them. A 70-second submission provided enough time. It wasn’t about replacing Michael Chiesa’s moment, but rather about sharing some space.

That’s where the frustration stemmed from. Niko Price didn’t lose quietly and walk away. He stayed. He waited. He waited during the interview, almost as if he expected his moment to arrive. It never did.

Niko Price reacts to retirement interview snub at UFC Seattle

The supporters weren’t the only ones who felt frustrated. It carried over to Niko Price, who stated that the entire experience felt strange when he was standing there in real time. He wasn’t confused about the result; he was confused about what was supposed to happen next.

In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, ‘The Hybrid’ revealed what he truly felt during the snub despite letting the UFC know beforehand that he was retiring and making it known in the cage after the fight.

“I had to stand there and watch his whole thing,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to get mic time. ‘I’m like, ‘Alright, cool.’ Then I’m like, ‘Why am I not getting mic time?’

“Then, I was like, ‘Whatever, don’t worry, but can I leave?’ I don’t want to stay here no more.’ Then I told my coach because they didn’t even send me off at all. They went to my gloves, and then they took a picture of him with my gloves. I was like, ‘Nooo, I wanted to do that picture with my gloves.’ He has his gloves on in the picture.”

Although Niko Price didn’t get his send-off he and many of his fans expected, he’s happy with his decision to finally hang his gloves.

“It was mentioned probably like 10 days before the fight, ‘Would this be a possibility?’ “Price continued. “I said, ‘I have to talk to my team.’ At first I was like, ‘No,’ but then me and my wife started talking, and I was like, ‘I’m getting old, man. Everything hurts.

“I want to spend time with my kids and stop being so selfish and spending so much time with myself. She goes, ‘I don’t really want you to do it anymore, and it’s getting really hard on my daughters. ‘I mean, it’s hard on me too, man. Even though it was on seven days’ notice, still, losing sucks.”

So, it surely looks like Nike Price is glad he made the decision. However, when it comes to the send-off, it wasn’t anger as much as it was disappointment, the kind that comes when something you thought was guaranteed just… doesn’t happen.