Daniel Cormier has at least one fight left in him at heavyweight, and he’s targeting a showdown with Roy Nelson before making the move to 205 pounds.
The former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion told Bleacher Report in May that he planned on staying in the division while adjusting his diet and weight to make the cut to light heavyweight later in the year.
It was revealed via UFC Tonight on Tuesday that Cormier had been planning on challenging the winner of this weekend’s main event from UFC on Fuel 10 between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira until he heard something interesting from Nelson in an interview.
On Monday in an interview with Bleacher Report, Nelson revealed that before he was matched up against Stipe Miocic at UFC 161, a few other fighters had turned down the fight—among them Daniel Cormier.
“There’s definitely guys that called me out and turned down fights,” Nelson revealed in the interview. “I guess all the big wigs, who you can think of. I think D.C. (Daniel Cormier) was one of them.”
According to Cormier, he didn’t turn down the chance to face Nelson at UFC 161, but he was actually not allowed because he could not be medically cleared in time for the show following his bout against Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20.
The news that Nelson stated he turned down the fight enraged him, however, and now Cormier is letting it be known that he wants Nelson for his next trip to the Octagon before he makes the move to 205-pounds.
“I want Roy Nelson,” Cormier said on UFC Tonight. “I want to kick his ass. I want to kick his ass for Dana White.”
Before a potential Cormier vs. Nelson fight can come together, UFC 161 has to happen, and Nelson has to get past Stipe Miocic in the co-main event.
Following that fight, Nelson then has to re-negotiate a new deal with the UFC because his bout in Winnipeg is the last on his current contract.
Nelson’s manager Mike Kogan tweeted on Tuesday that he plans on sitting down with UFC President Dana White after the show to start hammering out a new deal for the former Ultimate Fighter winner.
If all the pieces fall into place, however, a fight between Cormier and Nelson could be a heavyweight bout with fireworks written all over it for later this year.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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