This weekend former U.S. Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier (7-0) will face his toughest opponent in Jeff ‘The Snowman’ Monson.
Cormier had been scheduled to fight Shane del Rosario at the event but del Rosario was forced to withdraw because of a car accident. Monson was named a month ago as del Rosario’s replacement and is someone who is looking to make a return to the UFC having won eight fights in a row. A win over Cormier this Saturday may just get him that contract.
Fully aware of how hungry ‘The Snowman’ is, Cormier is no stranger to pressure having had a target on his back noting that during his years wrestling that “Anytime you’re the number one guy in the country for six years straight, people are aiming to beat you.”
In a recent interview posted at Strikeforce.com, Cormier opened up to talk about the adversity he’s faced over his life, including the loss of his three-month old daughter Kaedyn after a vehicle accident, his time wrestling, the move into mixed martial arts, and his upcoming fight with Monson.
Here are Cormier’s thoughts on Monson, and be sure to check out the entire interview at the link above.
“I see a guy who’s still competing at a high level,” said Cormier of “The Snowman.” “He’s fighting on one of the biggest cards of the year and he’s won eight in a row. Jeff is always in shape, he fights consistently, and he’s hungry. That’s the thing that concerns me more than anything – his desire to get back into the show. This guy has fought as much as he has because he wants to fight in the UFC and Strikeforce. This is his opportunity and that makes him a really dangerous person.”