Daniel Cormier wins Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final by unanimous decision over Josh Barnett – Photo by Esther Lin for Strikeforce.com
With an all heavyweight main card for last nights (May 26, 2012) UFC 146 event in Las Vegas, talk at the post fight press conference naturally turned to Strikeforce Grand Prix Tournament winner Daniel Cormier.
Cormier earned a unanimous decision victory last weekend over Josh Barnett in San Jose in the Strikeforce Grand Prix Tournament Final.
UFC president Dana White was asked about bringing Cormier over and where he might stand in contention for the UFC’s heavyweight title.
“Yes, he will end up coming over to the UFC. The thing is I’d love to see the guy go down to two-hundred-and-five pounds. I think he’s a small heavyweight over here. Listen, I respect Josh Barnett, he did work Barnett. Barnett fights like once a year, I’m not taking anything away from Barnett, but it’s a whole other ballgame here. I’m not telling him, if the guy wants to stay at heavyweight, I’m not going to tell him where to go, but I think it would be a good move for him to go to two-hundred-and-five pounds.”
White was asked for a definitive answer on if he’d give Cormier a shot, White relented “If he comes over and wants to fight for the heavyweight championship, yes.”
Cormier, and Barnett, both have one fight left on their Strikeforce contracts which will take place once both fighters end up healing their hands. A big win for Cormier could certainly earn him a shot at the UFC title whether, as White indicates, will be either champion Junior dos Santos or Cain Velasquez.