Tag: daniel cormier

Daniel Cormier Reveals Target Date For UFC Return

The countdown clock on UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier’s career has begun. Cormier has already stated that he has 14 months until he hangs up his gloves and ends his pro-MMA career. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to waste much time before getting back into the Octagon. As seen in the co-main event […]

The post Daniel Cormier Reveals Target Date For UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The countdown clock on UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier’s career has begun.

Cormier has already stated that he has 14 months until he hangs up his gloves and ends his pro-MMA career. It’s clear that he doesn’t want to waste much time before getting back into the Octagon.

As seen in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 220 PPV event at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, Cormier was able to score a TKO victory over title contender Volkan Oezdemir.

Despite the fact that Cormier suffered ligament damage to his wrist and a minor thumb fracture during the fight, he’d like to forgo surgery. Thus, he plans on heal naturally before returning to the Octagon this summer.

“I don’t like to do surgery, so I’m going to try to put off the surgery, and we’ll see in a couple weeks,” Cormier told MMAjunkie. “If it’s starting to heal, I’m not going to do the surgery. I’m going to do (platelet-rich plasma therapy) again.”

By looking at the UFC’s pay-per-view schedule, this year’s International Fight Week will feature UFC 226, which takes place July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This is a time of year that Cormier has historically fought during and could be perfect for his return.

“A more realistic timeframe for another fight would be in the summer,” he said. “Maybe July – International Fight Week, somewhere in that time frame. That would give me time to rest and recover from the fight. Just a long, hard year, and I’m going to have time for my injuries to heal. That would give me time to fight again maybe at the end of the year.”

“If I could fight at the end of the year, and maybe sneak another one in in February, I could get three more in before I’m done,” Cormier said.

The post Daniel Cormier Reveals Target Date For UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Daniel Cormier Reveals Planned Date For MMA Retirement

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is nearing 40 years old, and despite dominating a much younger challenger in Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220 on Saturday, he has already planned his retirement date. Cormier (20-1) has been the best 205-pound fighter outside of Jon Jones for some time now, and with ‘Bones’ facing yet another unceremonious suspension […]

The post Daniel Cormier Reveals Planned Date For MMA Retirement appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is nearing 40 years old, and despite dominating a much younger challenger in Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220 on Saturday, he has already planned his retirement date.

Cormier (20-1) has been the best 205-pound fighter outside of Jon Jones for some time now, and with ‘Bones’ facing yet another unceremonious suspension following their rematch at UFC 214, he will hold that distinction for the foreseeable future. DC’s status as champion was reinforced once again after a second-round TKO shut down the Oezdemir hype train in Boston last week.

As he approaches the big 4-0, Cormier revealed on today’s episode of The MMA Hour that he has set a very specific date for his retirement from MMA:

“Come March, I will have 12 months, at max, left. I’m going to be done by March 20, 2019. I won’t be fighting again.”

“I’m done, I’m going to done at 40,” Cormier said. “I won’t be back. There won’t be jumping around or ‘I’m done until I get the right type of fight.’ It’ll be over. I’m not going to be doing this anymore. I’ve said time and time again that I’ve lived a great life in sports, I’ve loved every moment of it. My family has revolved around sports. Not only my family, Selena and the kids, but also my mom and my dad. I’ve been the center of the athletic universe for my family for a really, really long time, and it’s time for that to be little Daniel and Marquita. It’s time for them to be the center of our athletic competition, and I just want to be one of those crazy dads that gets to yell on the sideline and just go crazy and brag about his kids.”

The light heavyweight division will certainly undergo quite the transformation once Cormier retires, and with no sign of Jones anytime soon, the 205-pound weight class will be in dire need of high-level replacements.

In fact, it’s almost unfathomable to think of a light heavyweight division without either man.

For his part, Cormier knows when to bow out; the man began his career in earnest in 2009, and ever since then, he’s collected belts wherever he’s fought. Now, Cormier has his broadcasting gig with FOX Sports to fall back on, and his occasional commentary at UFC events.

Who will be the man to replace DC once he’s retired? Assuming Jones is still off the radar, it could be some time before the UFC truly answers that question.

The post Daniel Cormier Reveals Planned Date For MMA Retirement appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Daniel Cormier Addresses Potential Third Fight With Jon Jones

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier returned in a big way this past weekend following his most recent loss. Before UFC 220, the last time that fight fans saw Cormier compete was he lost to former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones by third-round TKO in the main event of UFC 214 on July 29 […]

The post Daniel Cormier Addresses Potential Third Fight With Jon Jones appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier returned in a big way this past weekend following his most recent loss.

Before UFC 220, the last time that fight fans saw Cormier compete was he lost to former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones by third-round TKO in the main event of UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California on PPV (pay-per-view). It was revealed after the fight that Jones tested positive for Turinabol.

As a result of that failed drug test, Jones was stripped of the UFC light heavyweight title and removed from the official UFC rankings. The promotion then reinstated Cormier as the champion.

As seen in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 220 PPV event at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, Cormier was able to score a TKO victory over title contender Volkan Oezdemir.

As soon as the fight was over, Cormier could not help but point back to his rivalry with Jones.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Cormier told Joe Rogan during his Octagon interview. “I go through a lot of stuff, man, and it’s because of my greatest rival. But it feels good to get back in here and get a victory.”

When asked about a potential third fight with Jones, Cormier is not too keen on the idea as Jones is facing a potential four-year suspension for his latest failed drug test.

“I’m just past it right now,” Cormier said during his post-fight press conference (transcript via MMAjunkie). “Until he’s able to do what we want to do, and that’s fight, I’m kind of past it.”

“I’m kind of a bit of this spot when it comes to Jones. Competitively, all I want to do is fight him again. But at some point, it’s just like, ‘Man, is it ever going to be just a fight without nothing else?’”

“I don’t know if I can put myself through that again. I’ve done everything right,” he said. “And I’ve just been dragged down by this guy constantly. So I’m not thinking about it. I’m going to do my thing for right now.”

Jones is staying positive as he expects to bounce back strong after his second PED-related infraction in the UFC. Thus, he tweeted out the following on Sunday morning:

The post Daniel Cormier Addresses Potential Third Fight With Jon Jones appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Five Best Fights To Make After UFC 220

UFC 220 was a hard lesson learned for all involved, from fans to fighters and UFC brass themselves. Two extremely hyped contenders got beat down and demoralized, while the incumbent champions didn’t get the respect they felt they deserved. In hindsight, Volkan Oezdemir was not ready for Daniel Cormier, and the same can be said […]

The post Five Best Fights To Make After UFC 220 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 220 was a hard lesson learned for all involved, from fans to fighters and UFC brass themselves.

Two extremely hyped contenders got beat down and demoralized, while the incumbent champions didn’t get the respect they felt they deserved.

In hindsight, Volkan Oezdemir was not ready for Daniel Cormier, and the same can be said for Francis Ngannou with Stipe Miocic.

Even so, there are so many excellent fights to make after Saturday night, so without further adieu, let’s have a look:

Photo: Michael Adamucci for USA TODAY Sports

5. Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis

Ngannou fell short in his title shot against Stipe Miocic, but given his age and experience level, it’s fair to say he will certainly compete for the title again.

Derrick Lewis and Ngannou have traded barbs ever since “The Black Beast” beat Travis Browne and his subsequent loss to Mark Hunt. Ngannou has trolled Lewis online, saying a fight with Lewis would not bring him closer to a title shot. Well now that he’s had his shot, this is the perfect fight to make for both men, provided Lewis emerges victorious against Marcin Tybura next month.

The heavyweight division is indeed bereft of top-level contenders, and a win here for either man could catapult them back into contention.

And not for nothing, but a fight between the two would absolutely satisfy the “Just Bleed” crowd. Both of these men are harbingers of unbridled violence.

The post Five Best Fights To Make After UFC 220 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Seven Biggest Takeaways From UFC 220

With championships on the line in MMA’s two biggest divisions, last night’s (Sat., January 20, 2018) UFC 220 from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, promised to get the UFC’s 2018 pay-per-view schedule started off right, and overall, it’s safe to say it accomplished that. Two of the UFC’s biggest hype trains were sent back down to […]

The post Seven Biggest Takeaways From UFC 220 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

With championships on the line in MMA’s two biggest divisions, last night’s (Sat., January 20, 2018) UFC 220 from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, promised to get the UFC’s 2018 pay-per-view schedule started off right, and overall, it’s safe to say it accomplished that.

Two of the UFC’s biggest hype trains were sent back down to re-evaluate things in two sobering, dominant performances from two of the most workmanlike titleholders the sport has ever seen, brutal knockouts gave a big jolt to the preliminary card, and two rising featherweights met in a close and exciting slugfest.

Those are only the surface results, however. Let’s dig a bit deeper and look at the seven biggest takeaways from UFC 220.

Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara for USA TODAY Sports

7) Hype Trains Die Hard Yet Again:

In a paradoxical set of circumstances, in no sport are hype trains perhaps both created and sent crashing than they are in mixed martial arts, and UFC 220 was one of the most poignant, hard-hitting reminders of that.

Top-ranked Ngannou had run over every competitor he’d faced in the UFC and most recently knocked out Alistair Overeem, a veteran who had given champion Stipe Miocic significant trouble in their fight at UFC 203, with 2017’s clear “Knockout of the Year” at UFC 218, sending his hype into the proverbial stratosphere heading into his main event against Miocic at UFC 220.

The promotion of ‘The Predator’ was so much so that he was the betting favorite despite Miocic winning five straight fights with two title defenses.

But as the narrative goes, Miocic outclassed Ngannou with a superior strategy, one that involved all aspects of mixed martial arts rather than just knockout power. His takedowns were varied and effective, his ground control stifling, and when he needed it, his strikes much more consistent and accurate than those of a fading and eventually gassed Ngannou.

The challenger admitted he underestimated the champion’s skills, but he wasn’t the only hype train to get derailed at UFC 220.

Formerly surging light heavyweight knockout artist Volkan Oezdemir also saw his improbable three-fight run to title contention stopped in its tracks when champ Daniel Cormier put on maybe the most Daniel Cormier-like performance we’ve ever seen, grounding “No Time” in well, no time and pounding him in the crucifix until the ref mercifully stepped in to call it off.

Both Ngannou and Oezdemir had as much or more hype than any fast-rising prospect had in the relatively shallow divisions for years, but instead of gold belts, they left Boston with some legitimate questions to answer about their all-around skillsets.

The post Seven Biggest Takeaways From UFC 220 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 220 Reebok Fighter Payouts: Daniel Cormier & Stipe Miocic Top List

UFC 220 is in the books, and now it’s time for Reebok to pay the fighters their sponsorship money. UFC 220 took place on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The card featured two title fights. The main card aired on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card aired […]

The post UFC 220 Reebok Fighter Payouts: Daniel Cormier & Stipe Miocic Top List appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 220 is in the books, and now it’s time for Reebok to pay the fighters their sponsorship money.

UFC 220 took place on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The card featured two title fights.

The main card aired on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card aired on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET and the promotion’s streaming service, UFC Fight Pass, at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title headlined this event while Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir for the light heavyweight title served as the co-main event. Rounding out the five bout main card was Shane Burgos vs. Calvin Kattar in a featherweight bout, Francimar Barroso vs. Gian Villante in a light heavyweight bout, and Thomas Almeida vs. Rob Font in a bantamweight bout.

The full UFC payouts include:

Stipe Miocic: $40,000
def. Francis Ngannou: $30,000

Daniel Cormier: $40,000
def. Volkan Oezdemir: $30,000

Calvin Kattar: $3,500
def. Shane Burgos: $5,000

Gian Villante: $15,000
def. Francimar Barroso: $5,000

Rob Font: $5,000
def. Thomas Almeida: $5,000

Kyle Bochniak: $5,000
def. Brandon Davis: $3,500

Abdul Razak Alhassan: $5,000
def. Sabah Homasi: $3,500

Dustin Ortiz: $10,000
def. Alexandre Pantoja: $3,500

Julio Arce: $3,500
def. Dan Ige: $3,500

Enrique Barzola: $5,000
def. Matt Bessette: $3,500

Islam Makhachev: $5,000
def. Gleison Tibau: $20,000

The post UFC 220 Reebok Fighter Payouts: Daniel Cormier & Stipe Miocic Top List appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.