Daniel Cormier finally has his next light heavyweight defense set.
The 205-champion, who experienced a whirlwind of unfortunate circumstances in three attempts to defend his belt in 2016, will make his return to the Octagon against expected title challenger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at April 8’s UFC 210 from Buffalo, New York, Cormier announced this evening on UFC Tonight.
The two were originally set for their rematch at UFC 206 in December 2016 before Cormier suffered a groin injury and was forced to withdraw. Cormier defeated Johnson by third-round submission in their first match-up at 2015’s UFC 187 after getting rocked by a huge punch from “Rumble” early on.
Since then, he beat Alexander Gustafsson in a thrilling five-round affair at October 2015’s UFC 192, his first and only title defense. His long-awaited rematch with troubled MMA great Jon Jones was set for April 2016’s UFC 197, but a prior leg injury forced him out. “Bones” went on to beat replacement Ovince St. Preux at the event, and their rematch – which was going on two years in the making – was set for the main event of July 2016’s UFC 200.
But as we all know, that fight fell apart three days before it was scheduled to happen when Jones failed a USADA drug test for a banned substance, something he later attributed to using sexual performance enhancement drug Cialis. “DC” fought Anderson Silva and beat him in a boring, safe display of his wrestling, and headed for a rematch with “Rumble,” who again picked up his surging freight train form with three dominant first-round finishes.
If he can stay healthy, the 37-year-old Cormier’s return is set. Will he defend his gold once again in upstate New York this April?
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