Daniel Cormier wants you to know something: He is the UFC light heavyweight champion. No ifs, ands or asterisks about it.
After submitting Anthony Johnson on Saturday at UFC 187 to capture the belt, Cormier apparently felt a need to defend himself from…
Daniel Cormier wants you to know something: He is the UFC light heavyweight champion. No ifs, ands or asterisks about it.
After submitting Anthony Johnson on Saturday at UFC 187 to capture the belt, Cormier apparently felt a need to defend himself from claims that he was not the “true” champ. To be fair, those claims appear to have some merit, given that Cormier lost convincingly to the previous champ, Jon Jones, who only relinquished the title because of his recent suspension.
But Jones being out of the picture doesn’t diminish Cormier‘s championship, at least not in the eyes of Cormier himself.
“You know what, man? I would love to fight Jon again, and hopefully beat Jon. But when they put that belt around my waist, I was the UFC champion,” Cormier said Monday in an interview with broadcaster Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour program. “They don’t just give away those titles, man. They didn’t say ‘hey, Daniel, here’s your interim title.’ They said ‘you are the lineal UFC champion.’ … When you look in the record books, there will be no asterisk.”
Smiling from ear to ear throughout the interview, the new champ (16-1) took a few shots (veiled and otherwise) at the disgraced former MMA kingpin, saying that he would welcome another fight with Jones if Jones does indeed return to the UFC.
“I think Saturday showed how special the kid really is if he can get himself and everything else in order,” Cormier said. “To have beaten me, and then what I did to Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, that’s crazy, man. … He doesn’t want to see me carrying what he probably feels is still his title. And it isn’t; it’s mine.”
Cormier took the opportunity to indirectly compare himself with Jones, indicating that being a role model is an important part of being a champion.
“I will represent this sport in the best light possible,” Cormier said. “I won’t mess it up. I won’t get myself in any trouble. I’m going to live my life the correct way. I’m going to be a champion the kids can look up to and hopefully aspire to be like.”
Cormier also saved a few choice words for Ryan Bader, who has been actively lobbying for the next title shot and who traded salvos with Cormier during the UFC 187 post-event news conference.
“Ryan Bader has done something unbelievably spectacular: He’s gotten everyone to talk about him,” Cormier said. “It’s amazing that Ryan Bader‘s name is coming off of someone’s tongue. … Ryan Bader, you’re next, bud. You’re going to get exactly what you wanted. I hope you make a good fight of it, because if you don’t, you’re going to get embarrassed.”
(Jeez, Cormier can barely hold his belt before every dude-bro in the club tries to get a piece of him. Photo via Getty.)
It’s damn near impossible to look back at the flat-out fantastic card that was UFC 187 without first examining the bizarre series of events that shaped it. A seemingly invincible champion inside the cage was undone by his own actions outside of it. A seemingly broken former title challenger was suddenly thrust back into the title picture. An injury-plagued champion shrouded in doubt was finally set to face a morally (and chemically) dubious challenger in a fight some two years in the making. UFC 187 was a card surrounded by so many questions and disappointments (NURMY!!!) going in that its results could have easily left fans as unsatisfied as they would have been had the it been cancelled outright.
Thankfully, UFC 187 quickly and distinctly answered all our questions in a night of brilliant violence.
(Jeez, Cormier can barely hold his belt before every dude-bro in the club tries to get a piece of him. Photo via Getty.)
It’s damn near impossible to look back at the flat-out fantastic card that was UFC 187 without first examining the bizarre series of events that shaped it. A seemingly invincible champion inside the cage was undone by his own actions outside of it. A seemingly broken former title challenger was suddenly thrust back into the title picture. An injury-plagued champion shrouded in doubt was finally set to face a morally (and chemically) dubious challenger in a fight some two years in the making. UFC 187 was a card surrounded by so many questions and disappointments (NURMY!!!) going in that its results could have easily left fans as unsatisfied as they would have been had the it been cancelled outright.
Thankfully, UFC 187 quickly and distinctly answered all our questions in a night of brilliant violence.
“Get your shit together, I’m waiting for you.”
It wasn’t easy to see why Daniel Cormier was being considered such a huge favorite over Anthony Johnson until the cage doors closed. Johnson was the bigger man (an insane fact considering the weight classes both men previously fought in), the more powerful puncher, and had shown a ridiculously improved grappling game in his recent wins over Phil Davis and Alexander Gustafsson. After he sent Cormier halfway across the canvas with a right hand early on, it appeared as if we were in store for another classic “Rumble” destruction, and a bad night at the office for the bookies.
But even more surprising than punch Johnson landed early was how Cormier recovered from it — instantly and no worse for the wear. From that point on, the fight was what many of us predicted from the Olympian: a grinding, relentless, wrestling-based attack that had broken many an opponent in the past. Like Vitor Belfort had managed on Johnson in his first UFC run, Cormier smothered “Rumble”, bounced his head off the canvas a few times, and finished him when he had all but given up.
While questions regarding Cormier’s “legitimacy” as champion will always remain in Jon Jones‘ absence, DC’s message to the former king was succinct and necessary as it could’ve been: We will fight again, just as soon as the courts allow.
In the meantime, it appears the newly-crowned champion will be content to put beating on Ryan Bader, who did all he needed to do to set up their grudge match during the evening’s post-fight presser. Cormier’s reaction to being called out by Bader, however, wasn’t exactly reflective of the “champion’s attitude” he had been preaching in the weeks leading up to UFC 187. How one of FOX’s go-to analysts can come across so polished inside the studio yet so unhinged outside of it seems to suggest that, like Jones, there may be more to Daniel Cormier than we thought there was.
“Hey, hey. Stop doubting me. It’s enough. Stop doubting me. You better join the team now. This is my last invitation. Join the team. I love you.”
At this point, I don’t even know what to say to the inexplicably-vehement, likely Brazilian h8rs of Chris Weidman. If his hilariously self-deprecating stories, his day-to-day heroism, or his recent interview with Ariel Helwani hasn’t already endeared you to the guy, then nothing will (also, you’re probably a dick). Chris Weidman is the honest, down-to-earth, anti-steroid-crusading champion that this sport needs right now, and better yet, he’s incredibly skilled to boot.
Matched up against a significantly less bulky but still scary Vitor Belfort, Weidman once again walked the walk in a savage one round thrashing of the legend and former light heavyweight champion. As most of us expected, Belfort came out like a man on fire early, unleashing a vicious barrage on Weidman against the cage that opened him up above his left eye. When the champ emerged from the blitzkrieg without even the slightest look of concern on his face, however, you could practically see the life drain from Vitor’s eyes. The fight was already over. Weidman secured a beautifully-timed takedown, quickly passed to mount, and unleashed the finishing shots from above that seemed to say “F*ck your 1200 ng/dL, I run this town.”
Weidman’s mental resolve is truly a thing to behold, and will hopefully see him to many a title defense down the line. If he can stay healthy, that is.
“Don’t ever f*cking say you’re sorry. You better go get that [belt] now. It’s your job.”
Those were the congratulatory words that Travis Browne offered Andrei Arlovski, his longtime friend, after being TKO’d by the Belarusian in what should easily be considered the frontrunner for “Fight of the Year” so far. In a fight that saw both men nearly finished, Arlovski continued his improbable run toward the heavyweight title with a brilliant upset of the #3 ranked heavyweight. I really have no words to describe how awesome this fight was, so let’s all just watch it a half dozen times in a row instead.
As is the case with Chris Weidman, I think it’s time we all stop doubting Arlovski and join the team.
So what are we left with now? Well for starters, an era in which names like Arlovski, Cerrone, and Bader (not to mention, Edgar and Lawler) have become part of their respective title pictures. Despite our apparent need for the UFC to create new stars, it seems we are equally content to rally around the ones who’ve been apart of the game for as long as many of us have been fans. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The full results for UFC 187 are below.
Main Card (on Pay-Per-View)
Daniel Cormier def. Anthony Johnson by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:39, R3
Chris Weidman def. Vitor Belfort via TKO (strikes) at 2:53, R1
Donald Cerrone def. John Makdessi via TKO (head kick) at 4:44, R2
Andrei Arlovski def. Travis Browne via TKO (strikes) at 4:41, R1
Joseph Benavidez def. John Moraga via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
Preliminary Card (on FOX Sports 1)
John Dodson def. Zack Makovsky via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3
Dong Hyun Kim def. Josh Burkman via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:13, R3
Rafael Natal def. Uriah Hall via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28), R3
Rose Namajunas (2-2) vs. Nina Ansaroff (6-4) — CANCELLED
Colby Covington def. Mike Pyle by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27), R3
Preliminary Card (on UFC Fight Pass)
Islam Makhachev def. Leo Kuntz via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:38, R2
Justin Scoggins def. Josh Sampo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), R3
On the surface, there’s no reason for you to agree with the premise of this article. It’s out there—borderline crazy, even.
In a sport like MMA, however, sometimes we gotta get a little crazy.
Fallen light heavyweight king Jon “B…
On the surface, there’s no reason for you to agree with the premise of this article. It’s out there—borderline crazy, even.
Fallen light heavyweight king Jon “Bones” Jones emerged from Saturday’s UFC 187 main event action as the night’s biggest winner. This, despite the fact that he didn’t actually fight. This, despite the fact that his former title was on the line and he could do absolutely nothing to defend it.
This, despite the fact that his biggest rival to date, Daniel “DC” Cormier, captured his vacant slab of gold and proudly strapped it around his waist.
Looking at the events of UFC 187 through this lens, it’s difficult to see how Jones is anything but a huge loser on the evening.
But let’s step into the optometrist’s office and try out lens No. 2.
Jones, despite watching from the sidelines as his division battled for the title, is still unquestionably the man to beat in the UFC’s 205-pound division.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, whom Jones was scheduled to face before the series of unfortunate events kicked off, fought a solid fight against Cormier, doing his best to show the world that he was the future of the light heavyweight class.
Rumble blasted Cormier with an overhand right from Hades that had stopped lesser men in the past early in Round 1, and the fight looked to be his for the taking.
Since coming back to the UFC in April of 2014, Johnson has looked unstoppable, and this punch on Cormier was just the latest act of destruction handed down from the mighty fist of Rumble.
Had the fight ended right there in the first frame, Jones would have reason to worry about recapturing his throne. Many felt Johnson’s incredible power would give Jones problems before the UFC 187 main event, and now their pile of evidence stacked higher yet.
Jones bested Cormier by decision in January. Rumble needed one round to knock his head clean off. There’s no way Jones—or anyone—can handle that man’s stopping power.
Cormier, though, is not one of Rumble’s past opponents. He’s not a Phil Davis, a Mike Kyle or an aging Antonio “Rogerio” Nogueira.
He’s a former Olympic wrestler who trains at arguably the best camp on this planet, slugging it out with the likes of UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, UFC middleweight contender Luke Rockhold and a stable of killers on a daily basis.
Where others wilted under Johnson’s power, Cormier calmly plotted his comeback.
The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product sprung back to his feet immediately after eating that overhand right, and he looked to initiate the clinch. By round’s end, Cormier would secure two takedowns and control the action on the mat. His strategy was in full effect, and by Round 3, his work would be sealed.
The win was remarkable. To stand up to Johnson’s best weapons, weather the storm and emerge victorious was some kind of accomplishment. In a world where Jones does not exist, there’s no doubt many would peg Cormier as the longtime ruler of the light heavyweight division, one of the finest 205-pound combatants to ever step into the UFC Octagon.
Unfortunately for the newly minted champ, Jones does exist. He’s still there, picking up the pieces of his shattered life and warming out the hot glue gun in an attempt to piece it all back together.
If Jones can successfully rebound and come back the same fighter he was—or better—Cormier‘s stay at the top of the mountain will be a short one. DC dominated the fight against Johnson through his grappling and his sheer will to win—two areas where Jones thoroughly outclassed him at UFC 182. There’s no reason the story would end any differently a second time around based on what we saw Saturday evening.
Cormier‘s win made Jones look even better on all fronts. First, he showcased little evolution, meaning that Jones would probably fare just as well or better in a rematch. Secondly, he exposed Johnson for the same cardio-lacking, submission-susceptible fighter he was during his first run with Zuffa.
Maybe he hits hard, but that’s nothing a little game-planning and grinding can’t take care of, and Jones is perhaps the best ever in those departments.
Following the UFC 187 main event, the results are clear.
Winner by rear-naked choke and new UFC light heavyweight champion of the world: Daniel Cormier.
Winner by still being the baddest mixed martial artist on Earth with no worrisome challenger in sight (and still): Jon Jones.
UFC 187 is now in the books, and our summer of UFC overload is just beginning. But in a sea of what should be mostly memorable UFC events seemingly every weekend for the next four months, UFC 187 will no doubt stand out in our memories, because it was …
UFC 187 is now in the books, and our summer of UFC overload is just beginning. But in a sea of what should be mostly memorable UFC events seemingly every weekend for the next four months, UFC 187 will no doubt stand out in our memories, because it was awesome. That’s the only real way to put it.
Let’s take a look at what we loved, learned and hated from one of the better UFC main cards in recent memory.
LEARNED: Chris Weidman is now a legitimate UFC superstar…or he should be, anyway
Last week, I spent time with Chris Weidman and his camp while reporting for the profile of the middleweight champion published Friday afternoon. If there is one surprising thing I learned about the UFC’s middleweight champion and those who surround him, it’s that they didn’t quite understand why the American public at large hasn’t latched on and turned him into a next-level UFC superstar.
He is young. He is good-looking. He is quite good at fighting. He has beaten Anderson Silva two times; that alone should have been enough to vault him into superstardom. But it didn’t, and Weidman went into his title defense against VitorBelfort feeling a little disrespected and a little angry.
Maybe it’s the New York thing. Those of us in the parts of the country that are not New York are trained to chafe at the sound of the New Yawk accent, and maybe that feeling of “New York against the World” works against Weidman. But after Saturday, when he left Belfort lying in a pool of his own blood (and perhaps putting an emphatic end to the era of performance-enhancing drugs in the UFC in the process), Weidman implored the rest of the world to join his team, and noted that he’s not going to ask again.
If Weidman’s career arc so far isn’t enough to convince you that he’s worthy of your time, your dollars and your respect, well, I don’t know what to tell you. In short order, he has ascended the list of greatest UFC champions. This is not to say he is approaching the list of the best pound-for-pound fighters ever, or even that he’s the top fighter currently in the sport.
But he’s up there, and he’s marketable, and he is a breathtaking fighter. And if you’re staying off the team or claiming Weidman is anything but one of the best fighters currently in the sport, well, I don’t know how to help you.
LOVED: Andrei Arlovski, Travis Browne combine for the best one-round fight ever
It was Thursday afternoon when a friend here in Vegas, one who is well-connected to various camps in the fight industry, mentioned that Andrei Arlovski had injured his calf on Wednesday morning and nearly pulled out of his fight with Travis Browne. And I thought to myself, well, perhaps that is for the best if he does pull out, because Browne is probably going to hurt this old man badly. Maybe sitting in his hotel room or watching from Hooters across the street wasn’t the worst idea for Mr. Arlovski.
Instead of surrounding himself with chicken wings, cigarette smoke and a lack of self-respect (all three things are in abundance at Hooters), Arlovski chose to fight. Thank the violence gods he made this decision, because what he ended up participating in was one of the best single-round fights in the history of the UFC.
Certainly, it was a bout that will be remembered at the end of the year when various phantom awards are handed out across the world. It had everything: an aging underdog and former champion somehow hurting the young, manly bearded super-prospect and sending the crowd in attendance into raptures. Arlovski continued hurting Browne, even making him do this little wobbly legged jig that made me laugh out loud right there, in the middle of all that violence and shouting.
And then Browne, perhaps sensing his own impending doom, fought back like an animal, swinging his fists blindly and hoping he’d hit something, anything. He did, and what he hit was Arlovski’s face, and the former heavyweight champion went down in a heap. But then Arlovski got back up and regained something resembling his senses and stopped Browne, finally, mercifully, to continue one of the more unlikely career rebound stories I can remember.
After the fight, and before Bruce Buffer read the official decision, Arlovski apologized to Browne. Specifically for what, I do not know, though I can only imagine it had something to do with shaving a few years off Browne’s career by beating the crap out of him and preventing him from reaching the heavyweight division’s championship tier just yet.
“Don’t you ever apologize,” Browne said.
I agree. Don’t you ever apologize, Andrei. Not when you deliver heart-stopping performances like this one.
HATED: Antics are now a substitute for actual performances
I am a longtime fan of professional wrestling. My writing career began in high school, when I started “covering” pro wrestling on newsgroups (raise your hand if you remember newsgroups) and on AOL chat rooms and message boards. That was a long time ago, of course, though I still watch wrestling (mostly the WWE’s developmental program, NXT) to this day.
The point is that I understand promotion and how to promote fights. I have always been a huge proponent of fighters taking their careers into their own hands, and I shudder when Joe Rogan or Jon Anik, during a post-fight interview, ask them who they want to fight and they mutter something about the matchmakers and how it’s not their job to call other fighters out when yes, it is absolutely their job to call other fighters out.
But what I’m not a fan of is fighters bypassing hard work because they believe they can just act like a fool and earn big fights and title shots. They believe this because it’s true, of course, and never has this been more evident than when Ryan Bader rushed the stage during the post-fight press conference and set up a moment with Daniel Cormier that teetered between embarrassing and sad.
It was sad not because of Cormier, who is a longtime pro wrestling fan and is perhaps one of the absolute best in the sport at selling himself, his opponents and the moment through his work on the microphone.
The sad part was watching people—including media members who’d previously scoffed at the notion of Bader deserving a title shot—suddenly change their tune and froth at the mouth over the idea of Cormier and Bader facing off.
Baderhasn’t faced top competition and doesn’t deserve a title shot. Wait, they screamed at each other and made us laugh during a press conference? They sent mean tweets to each other? Oh my sweet Jesus, I can’t wait to see them fight.
That’s where the sport stands in 2015. Baderhasn’t beaten anyone of note; his best career win was a split decision over Phil Davis, and that should tell you all you need to know about his standing in the division. And yet he’ll probably get the chance to be destroyed by Cormier, all because he sent a bunch of tweets directed at the new champion and then acted like an idiot at a press conference.
If you weren’t certain before, you should be now: We’re all a bunch of marks.
Daniel Cormier was one of the brightest collegiate wrestling prospects in the country, but he never won an NCAA Division I title. A rare opportunity for Olympic gold came calling in 2004, but once again, Cormier was denied in his bid to be a world cham…
Daniel Cormier was one of the brightest collegiate wrestling prospects in the country, but he never won an NCAA Division I title. A rare opportunity for Olympic gold came calling in 2004, but once again, Cormier was denied in his bid to be a world champion.
The 36-year-old native of Lafayette, Louisiana, never knew what it felt like to stand at the peak of the mountaintop—until now.
So much meaning can be taken from a leather strap plated in gold, with the letters U-F-C stamped across it.
Cormier’s entire life has been full of tragedy and shortcomings. At age seven, his father was shot and killed on Thanksgiving by the father of his second wife. Cormier’s daughter died in a tragic car accident in 2003.
But through everything, Cormier always managed to pick himself back up and continue moving forward.
Perhaps it was only fitting Anthony “Rumble” Johnson dropped him with a massive overhand right early in the first round of the vacant light heavyweight title fight at UFC 187 on Saturday. For a man accustomed to sinking or swimming, it only made sense for Cormier’s dreams to shine through in the face of adversity.
Johnson’s face is the last thing most people see before it all goes dark. But the “King of the Grind” went back to his wrestling roots to survive the initial flurry and keep the fight on his terms. With all of his power and might, Johnson came apart bit by bit before our very eyes.
The same reincarnated beast who slaughtered Alexander Gustafsson, among many others, looked human for the first time in over three years. Ultimately, the same sport that broke Cormier’s heart time and time again was the same one that made it whole.
As Johnson finally succumbed to the pressure in the third round, giving up his back, Cormier pushed his forearm across Johnson’s neck, wrapped his hand around his own tricep and squeezed with all of his might. It was a simple and poetic sequence of events that made the impossible into possible.
Johnson waved the white flag, changing a boy’s dream into a man’s reality.
Sitting onstage at the post-fight press conference Saturday night, Cormier recalled being stuck in a one-bedroom apartment with his fiancee, his son and an empty bank account:
We had nothing. Salina and I had nothing. She’s been with me since I had one fight. One time, we had our son, young baby. I was in Strikeforce, and I would barely fight. Salina and I had a 700-square foot apartment in San Jose, California—one bedroom—and we had no money. And my family has no money down in Louisiana. And I was so desperate because we had no gas, we had nothing.
We were on welfare. We called my parents, and they don’t have much. But my mom, my dad, my brothers and my sister—they pulled together whatever they had and they had $575, and they sent it to Salina and I. And it allowed us to actually get through the month until my next sponsorship check from Cage Fighter came. … It’s great to give this championship to my parents and my fiancee because now, we’re fine.
Much has been made about the legitimacy of Cormier’s title win. Jon Jones, the former light heavyweight champion, was stripped and suspended of the title in April after being arrested on a felony charge for a hit-and-run incident.
Undefeated and widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Jones was well on his way to achieving all-time greatness. Not to mention, he defeated Cormier in his final defense as champion at UFC 182 in January.
But as Cormier rightly reminded us at the post-fight presser, “You have to be a champion in all facets of life.”
Jones seemed to take being UFC champion for granted.
Having been on the brink of seeing his family suffer, Cormier is unlikely to make those same mistakes. If we can take anything from UFC 187, perhaps the biggest lesson is one in patience. Being a champion isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s a treacherous journey full of failures and missteps.
For Cormier, it all started on a wrestling mat. Through a life’s worth of trials and tribulations, it culminated into him standing in the center of the Octagon, celebrating a moment that can never be taken away.
JordyMcElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
For now, Daniel Cormier can lay claim to being the baddest 205-pound man on the planet. The 36-year-old put the light heavyweight championship belt around his waist in the main event at UFC 187 on Saturday, taking the throne left vacant by former …
For now, Daniel Cormier can lay claim to being the baddest 205-pound man on the planet. The 36-year-old put the light heavyweight championship belt around his waist in the main event at UFC 187 on Saturday, taking the throne left vacant by former champion Jon Jones.
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson certainly did his best to take the title for himself. He knocked Cormier down in the opening moments of the bout and threatened with his power on multiple occasions in the first two rounds.
However, Cormier is a master of the grind, and that was the difference. He scored three takedowns via FightMetric and wore out Johnson with relentless pressure before finally submitting him in the third round.
It was a main event that really left more questions than answers. Cormier left with the belt around his waist, but just how long he’ll hold it is a point of intrigue moving forward.
Here’s a look at the top storylines to watch in this new era of the light heavyweight division.
Where Does Rumble Go From Here?
Johnson left UFC 187 without the title, but he still proved he’s very capable of holding it one day. How Cormier survived some of the bombs Johnson landed in the first round is a minor miracle. In a rematch or against another opponent, the story could be different if Johnson connected with his powerful strikes again.
The good news for Rumble is that at 31 years old, he still has time to work his way back up. The even better news—as former UFC fighter Brian Stann points out—is that light heavyweight isn’t the deep division it once was:
Assuming Jones does not come back in the immediate future, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson only need one win to get another shot at Cormier. With him winning the first round, it wouldn’t be a hard angle for the UFC to sell.
Johnson was focused on getting back to this point in the post fight press conference.
“My goal is still to be champion one day,” He said via Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie. “I was on a nine-fight win-streak, and Daniel just defeated me. But I promise I’ll be back. I don’t care who I have to fight, when I have to fight them or where I have to fight them. I will be back, and whoever’s there, hey, let’s do it.”
With that nine-fight win streak highlighted by Alexander Gustafsson, Johnson would likely be the favorite in any fight at light heavyweight against someone not named Jones or Cormier.
Is Ryan Bader Next for Daniel Cormier?
With Johnson out of the way and Jones’ future unclear, just who is next on the docket for Cormier is up in the air. Ryan Bader would like to clear that up, though.
As UFC on Fox tweeted, Bader and Cormier got into a heated exchange at the post-fight press conference:
Marketing a potential fight down the road, Cormier provided this gem, according to Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting, in regards to the fight between the two that was scrapped to give the title shot to DC:
It’s an unfortunate reality sometimes, but it’s possible for fighters to talk themselves into UFC title shots. That’s likely what happened at the post-fight press conference. Bader was ranked No. 5 in the division on the night of the fight and now has a marketable angle in the form of beef with the champion.
However, he’s not the only option available for Cormier. As Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report points out, Gustafsson and Rashad Evans also have compelling cases:
A matchup with Bader could ultimately be the choice to keep DC busy while Johnson or Jones sets up a rematch.
When Will Jon Jones Return to the Octagon?
What Cormier‘s victory really did is set up a potential massive rematch with Jones. He wasted no time in calling him out in the direct aftermath of the win, per UFC on Fox:
That being said, there’s no telling when that could take place.
UFC President Dana White has said Jones will have an immediate title shot when he comes back to the UFC, per Jim Rome on The Jim Rome Show (via MMA Fighting’s Al-Shatti). However, there are those who know the former champion and think he needs to take his time in coming back, including Anderson Silva.
“I don’t think so man,” Silva told TMZ Sports in response to a question about Jones coming back. “Jones is a good boy—he’s a good man. He needs to focus. … I love Jones, but he needs to change everything in life.”
There might be an expiration date for the potential rematch, though. According to MMA Fighting, Cormier hinted about possible retirement in the near future, now that he’s finally captured UFC gold:
Clearly Jones’ No. 1 priority right now needs to be getting his life together outside of the cage. The UFC can’t afford to be represented by someone who can’t be the face of the organization.
A rematch with Cormier might not fit into those plans for him to get his life together before returning to competition.
Daniel Cormier wants you to know something: He is the UFC light heavyweight champion. No ifs, ands or asterisks about it.