Daniel Cormier apparently spoke with Stipe Miocic about beefing up their salaries before signing the contract for UFC 226.
This year’s International Fight Week could be one of the biggest and most anticipated ones in recent years, as it features a heavyweight super fight between champions Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. It is a matchup that “DC” made sure he and Miocic would be getting the right deal from.
The light heavyweight champion recently went on record with FloCombat to discuss how his UFC 226 headliner fight came about. Apparently, Cormier had a pre-signing discussion with Miocic about their respective salaries.
”I did speak with him. I spoke with Stipe, I called Stipe,” Cormier said. “Obviously, you know, great guy, I got to spend some time with him, fantastic champion, just a pillar of his community. I can’t say enough good things about Stipe Miocic.”
”With that being said, I told Stipe ‘for $500,000, I’m not fighting Stipe Miocic.’ I threw out a big[ger] number and said for that number, I’m fighting Stipe Miocic. He goes, ‘I f—ng love you.’”
”That’s what he said. I said for the right numbers we need to do this. His wife is in the back going, ‘Yes, DC!’”
Cormier adds that while he wanted to be assured that they would both be taken care of financially, what convinced him to change his mind about challenging for the heavyweight title was the sheer magnitude of the fight itself, which was elaborately laid out to him by Dana White.
”History. The guy doesn’t only sell you on financial incentives, he sells you on history,” Cormier said of White. “He has worked with me for a number of years now so he knows the types of things that make me perk up.”
”’History, Daniel, history. Epic. Something that no one has ever done,’” Cormier said, recalling his conversation with the UFC president. “Sure, 170 [pounds] and 185, 155, and 145, yes, but no one has legitimately tried as the light heavyweight champ to go fight the heavyweight champ.”
“‘This is the battle for the baddest man on the planet.’”
UFC 226 is scheduled to take place on July 7th in Las Vegas.