Second chances are few and far between at the highest level of any sport, and Daniel Cormier‘s shot at redemption appeared when he least expected it.
The former Olympic wrestler was preparing for his June 6 bout with Ryan Bader at Fight Night 68 when word came from UFC brass that he would step in to fight for the suddenly vacant light heavyweight title due to a legal situation created by Jon Jones.
Back in January, the American Kickboxing Academy representative Cormier had been handed the first loss of his professional career when he faced the pound-for-pound phenom at UFC 182. Cormier figured it would it would take a few wins before he was able to get another shot at the light heavyweight strap.
Nevertheless, once the UFC stripped Jones of his title and suspended him indefinitely, an opening appeared opposite Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in the main event at UFC 187 on Saturday. While that date was a few weeks earlier than what he was originally preparing for, nothing was going to hold “D.C.” back from another crack at championship gold.
Suddenly, the chance to shake off the sting of defeat and disappointment was going to come front and center, and Cormier is no stranger to having to dig deep when the chips don’t fall his way initially.
Above all the talent he possesses, there is a resilience inside the Louisiana native that allows him to keep moving forward, despite whatever twists and turns come his way. Cormier is determined to become a champion under the UFC banner, and the only thing standing between him and that goal is a heavy-handed knockout artist on his own path toward redemption.
“I was as excited as anyone would be to get that call,” Cormier told Bleacher Report. “You gotta think about the fact that we are guys who get the chance to compete at the highest level, and to get the opportunity I’m getting with another title shot is a blessing.
“After my fight with Jones, I was pretty down in the dumps. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but then I got the fight with Bader and the opportunity to rebuild myself. When this fight came along, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. No person in their right mind would pass up this opportunity.
“You can look at my career and see my track record and ability to bounce back from adversity. When things are going bad, I pick myself up and rebuild myself. That’s what I said after my fight with Jon. I told everyone I would be better for that happening. That was my intention.
“But now, I get the opportunity to get through that process much quicker than I expected. Before, I thought I would have to fight Jones again to redeem myself. But now, I get the chance to achieve the ultimate goal without that happening.
“It’s just crazy to think that a guy who defended the belt eight different times against eight different people is no longer in that picture right now,” he added. “But that’s on Jon…and I have to take this opportunity for what it is. And that is the chance to make my dream come true. If you’ve followed my career then you have seen that when things are at their lowest, I’ve always found a way to come back better than ever before.”
While additional storylines have floated around in the buildup to UFC 187, the only one that matters to Cormier is being prepared to face the man who will stand across from him inside the Octagon. Where Johnson was once a floundering welterweight who struggled to hit his contracted weight limit on multiple occasions and was released from the promotion because of it, the new and improved version of the Blackzilians is a completely different animal.
Immediately after being cut from the UFC, the Georgia native began to compete in his natural weight class, and the results have been devastating. Johnson has notched nine consecutive victories, with his three most recent wins coming in his return to the biggest stage in MMA. His last outing resulted in a first-round knockout over former title challenger Alexander Gustafsson, as Johnson leveled “The Mauler” in a quick and brutal fashion.
His victory in Sweden earned him the right to fight for the light heavyweight strap, and even though circumstances changed his opponent, Cormier knows Johnson will bring his best. That said, he is confident he will be up to the challenge and plans to make a long-awaited dream come true Saturday night in Las Vegas.
“I know I’m in for a tough fight,” Cormier said. “This is going to be an uphill battle for me against a very dangerous opponent. This is going to be a big challenge, but I’m up for it. I’m up for facing his power punches and putting his wrestling to the test. I’m up for everything Rumble Johnson is going to bring to the table. I know how tough this is going to be, and it’s going to be my determination that is going to pull me through this situation.
“I’m a fighter. I’ve learned over the course of these 16 fights over the past five years that I’m a fighter. I’ll fight no matter the situation. Even in the face of adversity, I’m going to be in there giving my all. I’ll never give up on myself. Even when the fifth round of that fight with Jones came around, I wasn’t giving up on myself. I was in there trying to fight, and I’ll do that every second I’m conscious inside the Octagon.
“The only way to take the fight out of me is to put me out, but as long as I’m up and I have a chance to accomplish this goal, that’s what I’m going to do.
“My resume and work that I’ve done throughout my career has allowed me this opportunity, and I plan on taking advantage of it this time to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion,” he added. “I don’t care who I have to beat to get that belt. The important thing to me is getting that belt strapped around my waist.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand, unless noted otherwise.
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