Russell Westbrook may be enjoying his offseason with the Los Angeles Clippers out of the playoffs, but he's still circulating in analysis discussions.
Just not the good kind.
Ahead of the UFC 288 card featuring Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad, former UFC fighter Daniel Cormier, now a color commentator, provided three keys to victory for Burns -- one of which was not like the others: Close the distance, secure takedowns and..."don't be Russell Westbrook."
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Though it's not exactly clear why Westbrook would be mentioned in such a discussion unrelated to the NBA and in the context of UFC fighting, Burns went on to lose to Muhammad via a five-round unanimous decision.
Since his first UFC fight on Sept. 24, 2009, Cormier's run lasted until 2020 when he retired that August to begin commentating. He finished with a 22-3-0 win-loss-draw record, which included consecutive losses to Stipe Miocic that involved the heavyweight belt.
Westbrook, meanwhile, will be an unrestricted free agent when the free agency period begins later this summer. He was in the middle of his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 until he was dealt to the Utah Jazz at the deadline, who then waived him to allow him to sign elsewhere, which eventually became the Clippers.
