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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, is going to finish his storied mixed martial arts (MMA) career in the same place it began, which is undoubtedly a disappointment to fans hoping for a Jon Jones trilogy.
But with just one fight remaining for “DC,” the Olympian is setting his sights on a rubber match with 265-pound nemesis Stipe Miocic, after going down in flames against the part-time firefighter when they threw hands at UFC 241 last month in Anaheim.
“Win or lose, I’m not fighting again,” Cormier told Ariel Helwani. “This will be the only time I ever step foot inside the Octagon again. Next one is the last one, but it has to be Stipe, no one else matters. [UFC} wants me to fight Stipe again, it was a fantastic fight.”
Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) was up on the judges’ scorecards following three rounds of action, but was ultimately finished by strikes after the longtime wrestler opted to keep their fight on the feet (highlights). And should he lose for a second time, then “DC” admits he’ll just have to live with it.
“If Dec. 14 becomes available, that would work for me,” he continued. “I’d be happy to get myself ready to do that. I love to compete and I don’t want to finish like this. If he’s still good enough to beat me under those terms, then it is what it is.”
There was talk about settling his unfinished business with Jon Jones, after falling by decision at UFC 182, then having his knockout loss at UFC 214 overturned when “Bones” flunked his drug test. But it sounds like that ship had sailed long before Cormier got thumped by Miocic.
A date and venue for Miocic vs. Cormier 3 has yet to be established.