Daniel Cormier will not take another fight after his UFC 173 showdown with Dan Henderson—unless it involves a shiny, golden belt.
The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion-turned UFC light heavyweight fighter feels that a win over Henders…
Daniel Cormier will not take another fight after his UFC 173 showdown with Dan Henderson—unless it involves a shiny, golden belt.
The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion-turned UFC light heavyweight fighter feels that a win over Henderson solidifies his status as the division’s No. 1 contender and that taking any fight that does not involve the strap does not interest him.
Beyond that, the UFC has already confirmed that he’s next—should he get past Hendo—and he does not want to deviate from that plan in any way.
“‘Daniel, you win, you’re in,’ that’s what I was told,” Cormier told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I’ve waited long enough. This will be my fifth top-10 win, and I’m not fighting anyone else.”
While Cormier (14-0) is relatively new to the sport of MMA, he’s a longtime competitor in wrestling and made the U.S. Olympic team in 2004 and 2008. This success on the mat led him to enter the sport of MMA late in life and now, at 35 years old, Cormier isn’t looking to prolong his chance at achieving the sport’s ultimate glory.
Because of that, he feels comfortable waiting for his chance at UFC light heavyweight championship, which is currently held by Jon Jones. Jones, however, just defeated Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 and is set to take on Alexander Gustafsson for the second time some time this year.
With no official timetable set for the Jones vs. Gustafsson rematch, Cormier may be out of action for a significant amount of time, should he wait his turn.
According to “DC,” that’s just fine.
“I’d wait. I’d wait for my title shot,” Cormier said. “If it took nine months, I’d wait nine months. It’s time for me to fight for the belt.”
Of course, Henderson can ruin all of this with one devastating right hand, his strongest attack which has been deemed the “H-bomb.” Cormier recognizes this challenge and he knows that the task ahead is a significant one.
“My favorite fight of all time is Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua, the first one,” Cormier said. “Dan laid under Shogun for four and a half minutes in the mount last time they fought in the fifth round, and he didn’t get finished…He did just enough to not get finished. Dan Henderson could potentially put me in that war…I could go down, I could be hurt very badly in this fight.”
Still, Cormier cannot help but fantasize about a matchup with Jones. It means fighting for the belt, showcasing his full arsenal of skills and a chance to defeat someone who is perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
And for Cormier, it’s possible.
“It’s the things that you can’t measure on a piece of paper that it’s going to take to beat Jon Jones, the things that I believe I hold in spades,” Cormier said.
Whether or not this holds true remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: If Cormier gets past Henderson, we’re going to find out for certain.
The UFC is one-third of the way through 2014, and we have already been treated to a healthy dose of MMA. There are still eight months left on the calendar, and that gives the UFC plenty more big fights to deliver to our screens.
The loss of GSP and And…
The UFC is one-third of the way through 2014, and we have already been treated to a healthy dose of MMA. There are still eight months left on the calendar, and that gives the UFC plenty more big fights to deliver to our screens.
The loss of GSP and Anderson Silva hurt the star power of the sport, but other figures are trying to fill the gaps. There was a small glimmer of hope that GSP would return by year’s end, but another knee injury will keep him out of action indefinitely.
There are still plenty of big fights to be had, and we take a look at 10 of those here. We tried to keep the matches realistic. Do not expect to see Brock Lesnar crack the list, although his return would be the biggest thing the UFC could hope for.
Fighters outside of the organization, rankings, scheduling issues and injuries will keep some of the big matches off of the table until at least 2015.
With a big roster full of talent, here are 11 of the biggest fights the UFC should make to end the year.
He shuffles forward on stiff legs, his arms occasionally jabbing out in slow, tired fashion. There is a man standing across the cage who advances and strikes him. A blow to the head. He staggers, but still shuffles forward, like something undead. Twice more he is struck in the head. With the third blow he goes stiff, like a corpse already in the grip of rigor mortis. He topples backwards like a stricken tree, to lay rigid and unmoving.
Sound familiar? Well, it should. It was the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi between Roy Nelson and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. (Watch the carnage here.) It was a fight that, bottom line, shouldn’t have happened. Nogueira has suffered the most knockdowns (8) in UFC heavyweight history, and his previous knockout losses to Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez proved that Big Nog’s formerly armor-plated chin was becoming vulnerable. So why put him in the Octagon with one of the most devastating right hands in the UFC?
This kind of thing has become common in MMA.
MMA promotions have made it a habit to put beaten and tired legends of the sport in fights that they can’t hope to win. Look no further than Nelson vs. Nogueira, Overeem vs. Mir, Cro Cop vs. Mir/Schaub/Nelson. The UFC assumes that fans want to see these fights, but really, only a certain kind of fan wants to see these fights — the same fans who would gladly watch George Foreman and Muhammad Ali go at it again. One more time. For old times’ sake.
He shuffles forward on stiff legs, his arms occasionally jabbing out in slow, tired fashion. There is a man standing across the cage who advances and strikes him. A blow to the head. He staggers, but still shuffles forward, like something undead. Twice more he is struck in the head. With the third blow he goes stiff, like a corpse already in the grip of rigor mortis. He topples backwards like a stricken tree, to lay rigid and unmoving.
Sound familiar? Well, it should. It was the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi between Roy Nelson and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. (Watch the carnage here.) It was a fight that, bottom line, shouldn’t have happened. Nogueira has suffered the most knockdowns (8) in UFC heavyweight history, and his previous knockout losses to Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez proved that Big Nog’s formerly armor-plated chin was becoming vulnerable. So why put him in the Octagon with one of the most devastating right hands in the UFC?
This kind of thing has become common in MMA.
MMA promotions have made it a habit to put beaten and tired legends of the sport in fights that they can’t hope to win. Look no further than Nelson vs. Nogueira, Overeem vs. Mir, Cro Cop vs. Mir/Schaub/Nelson. The UFC assumes that fans want to see these fights, but really, only a certain kind of fan wants to see these fights — the same fans who would gladly watch George Foreman and Muhammad Ali go at it again. One more time. For old times’ sake.
Let me preface this by saying that I am a HUGE Dan Henderson fan. I still sit and watch old clips of Henderson wasting some of the greatest welter-, middle-, light heavy-, and heavyweights of all time. Henderson knocking out Fedor Emelianenko with an uppercut from behind is still one of the greatest performances in MMA history in my book, but let’s be real — Dan Henderson, 43, is old to be fighting at the top level in the UFC. Sure, others have had success at that age, and Henderson just picked up another come-from-behind win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night Natal. However, Henderson lost three in a row before that, including a knockout loss via vicious head kick to Vitor Belfort.
Apart from being nearly a decade younger than Henderson, Daniel “DC” Cormier is coming off of, well, no losses. Ever. The former Strikeforce Champion is undefeated in 14 fights and, prior to his move down to light heavyweight, he was the #2 heavyweight in the world. You need only look at the purple face of Patricks Cummins after his 79-second bout with DC at UFC 170 to see how hard Cormier hits.
To beat the unbeaten Cormier, Henderson has to put on the best performance of his life. At 43 years old and after dropping TRT, that seems awfully far-fetched.
Henderson should have been given the chance to take his TRT-less body for a test drive before facing elite competition. And ideally, Henderson should have been offered a grappler as his next opponent, who, worst-case scenario, could have submitted him without damaging a brain that has already taken a beating. No one wants to see Henderson with Cro-Cop-esque twitches.
So why would the UFC put Dan Henderson in the Octagon with Daniel Cormier?
The UFC is sacrificing Dan Henderson as DC’s first legitimate test at light-heavyweight, because Henderson has name value and he draws viewers — not because the matchup is competitive. Watching Henderson fight is nostalgic. It reminds us of better days when we actually liked the LHW champ, Randy Couture was (literally) spanking Tito Ortiz, CagePotato was but a little CageSpud, Pride existed, and Don Frye was still shooting his mouth off…well, some things never change.
Someone (you know who you are) needs to comes to their senses and stop sacrificing legends for viewers. Put them in the Hall Of Fame where they belong and treat them with the respect they deserve.
There is an ingrained level of respect shared between athletes who compete across the spectrum of sports.
This certainly rings true when it comes to wrestling, but that element is uniquely amplified among those who have traveled the workman’s path beca…
There is an ingrained level of respect shared between athletes who compete across the spectrum of sports.
This certainly rings true when it comes to wrestling, but that element is uniquely amplified among those who have traveled the workman’s path because only another wrestler truly knows the sacrifice and perseverance the sport demands. And when two athletes in that realm have risen to achieve Olympic status, the shared respect reaches an entirely different level.
Daniel Cormier has always held a tremendous amount of admiration for Dan Henderson, but his motivation to become a UFC champion trumps all things. D.C. made the drop from heavyweight into 205-pound waters to make a run at the light heavyweight strap, and the former two-divisional Pride champion and MMA legend is now officially standing between him and his goal.
Cormier will put respect aside in order to impose his will when the two men meet next month at UFC 173, as the matchup between the undefeated contender and the resurgent veteran will serve as the co-main event for the UFC’s annual Memorial Day weekend event in Las Vegas.
“I have a huge amount of respect for Dan Henderson,” Cormier told Bleacher Report. “I’ve always liked the way he fights and he was very nice to me when I first started out with Strikeforce. I consider Dan Henderson a friend and more than just an acquaintance. I think he’s a great guy and the way he has competed since wrestling in the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1996 and the way he carried himself in Pride, Strikeforce and now the UFC; was a big deal for me. I have a ton of respect for Dan as an athlete and in general because he’s always been very nice to me.
“My goal of becoming champion is the most important thing without question. People get caught up in mind games about what they will and won’t do, but my intention to become champion. Nothing is going to stop that. Whether it be a guy like Dan Henderson—who I very much like in this world—to someone I really dislike; it doesn’t matter who it is because nothing is going to stop me. My goals are out there for me and I need them to happen. Dan Henderson is out there and he’s the guy I have to go through to get a championship fight then that’s what I’m going to do.
“Rashad Evans is a friend of mine and I was going to fight him and I was going to beat him,” he added. “I was going to win that fight and put myself in position to earn a title shot. I’m not going to allow friendships to stand in the way of what I want to accomplish for myself and my family.”
Throughout his rise in mixed martial arts, Cormier has been vocal about his pursuit of championship gold. The volume on that particular matter has been turned up over the past year-and-a-half as back-and-forth exchanges between the AKA staple and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in interviews and on social media have made headlines across the MMA media landscape. Cormier has made no secret about his intention to become the 205-pound title holder, and he’s sought out the types of fights that would put him on the fast track to accomplish his goal.
While he was supposed to face former champion Rashad Evans in his light heavyweight debut back in February at UFC 171, Suga suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the bout.
The UFC tapped an unknown fighter in Patrick Cummins to step in on short notice—and Cormier promptly drubbed the Team Reign fighter in the first round of their tilt—but his opponent’s lack of name recognition created a situation where victory wasn’t going to warrant much more than a check mark in the win column.
Cormier was certainly keen to the circumstances at hand, but he sees the situation surrounding his bout with Henderson in a far different light. The 35-year-old believes defeating Henderson will be the final step he needs to take in order to get the opportunity he’s been on the hunt for.
“There is nothing standing between me and a title shot but Dan Henderson and that’s it,” Cormier said. “There have been other times where I’ve gathered knowledge and waited to see what happens, but now I know. In my mind I know if I beat Dan Henderson I will get the title shot. It’s what I’ve been wanting and what I’ve been begging for. I have text Dana so much asking, ‘Am I next? Am I next?’ that he has to be so pissed off with me calling and texting him all the time.
“I’m going to beat down your door until you give me what I want. Also, I’m not asking you to give me anything. I’m asking you to allow me to get what I’ve been working for. I’m asking for you to allow me to get what my resume shows I deserve. If I beat Dan Henderson and put him with Josh Barnett, ‘Bigfoot’ Silva, Frank Mir, Jeff Munson and Roy Nelson that will six of my 15 fights against guys who have hung around the top of the sport for a long time. That should certainly be enough to earn a title shot and guys have certainly gotten title shots of much, much less. I’m just asking what I believe will be rightfully mine if I get through Dan.
“I’ve continuously asked him for the big fight that will put me in position to get what I want,” he added. “Now, it’s only one fight—15 minutes—to give me exactly what I’ve wanted for the past five years, and I couldn’t imagine any situation where I’m going to let something stand in front of that.”
Although both Cormier and Henderson have shown multiple facets of their skill sets inside the cage, their respective wrestling credentials will be a major storyline in the lead up to the fight. That said, Hendo has used his grappling sparingly over the past several years as his signature “H-Bomb” of a right hand has leveled the opposition at a consistent rate and carried him to victory.
With Henderson’s overhand right being one of the most dangerous weapons in the light heavyweight division, it is certainly something Cormier has to be mindful of once the cage door closes. That said, Cormier is no stranger to facing opponents who have the ability to finish fights in a multitude of fashions, and he’s handled each challenge by putting the opposition right where he wants them. That is what he plans to do against Henderson as Cormier believes he will systematically defuse the “H-Bomb.”
“I fight the way I fight,” Cormier said. “I will go in there and fight smart and make Dan Henderson fight me where I want to fight. Whether that will be on the ground, in the clinch or at distance, I will make Dan fight me where I want the fight to be. But I don’t know where that is yet. My coaches are working on that and we are incorporating those things into my training right now.
“If you look at fights over the course of my career that’s what I have done time and time again. Jeff Munson has good jiu-jitsu and I had never been in there against a guy like that and made him stand up the entire time. ‘Bigfoot’ Silva is great when he’s on top and I made him stand up as well until I knocked him out. I only grappled with Josh Barnett from the top position because that is where I was better than him. I never gave Frank Mir a remote chance of getting to the ground. Roy Nelson is very good with his overhand right and I completely nullified it.
“I make them fight uncomfortable and then I just roll on them,” he added. “My coaches come up with a game plan, I follow it and eliminate any advantages these guys have. If it’s Dan Henderson’s right hand that people worry about, I’ll make it seem like he’s fighting with that right hand behind his back.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
The fight will serve as a quick turnaround for Henderson, who was getting his ass handed to him by Mauricio Rua at Fight Night 38 in March before scoring a miracle comeback KO via H-Bomb in the third round of their hotly-anticipated rematch. Cormier, on the other hand, barely broke a sweat in his last fight: a 79-second TKO over Pete Cumpins…Pat Culmings (damn it, so close!) at UFC 170.
Recovery advantage: Cormier. Age, speed, size, and strength advantage: Also Cormier. “You darn kids quit skateboarding on the sidewalks!” advantage: Hendo. Call me crazy, but I’m liking Hendo here.
The full UFC 173 lineup is after the jump.
(Cormier opens a can of whoop ass on Phil Cumens…er…Paul Cummings…let’s just call him “Pete” at UFC 170. Photo via Getty.)
The fight will serve as a quick turnaround for Henderson, who was getting his ass handed to him by Mauricio Rua at Fight Night 38 in March before scoring a miracle comeback KO via H-Bomb in the third round of their hotly-anticipated rematch. Cormier, on the other hand, barely broke a sweat in his last fight: a 79-second TKO over Pete Cumpins…Pat Culmings (damn it, so close!) at UFC 170.
Recovery advantage: Cormier. Age, speed, size, and strength advantage: Also Cormier. “You darn kids quit skateboarding on the sidewalks!” advantage: Hendo. Call me crazy, but I’m liking Hendo here.
The full UFC 173 lineup is after the jump.
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw – for UFC bantamweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Dan Henderson
Jake Ellenberger vs. Robbie Lawler
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Francisco Rivera
James Krause vs. Jamie Varner
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
Michael Chiesa vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Tony Ferguson vs. Katsunori Kikuno
Chico Camus vs. Chris Holdsworth
Mitch Clarke vs. Al Iaquinta
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Anthony Njokuani vs. Vinc Pichel
Doo Ho Choi vs. Sam Sicilia
Jingliang Li vs. Danny Mitchell
UFC President Dana White appeared on Wednesday’s afternoon edition of SportsCenter to confirm a UFC 173 co-main event showdown between light heavyweight standouts Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier.
Ranked No. 6 and No. 5 in the division, resp…
UFC President Dana White appeared on Wednesday’s afternoon edition of SportsCenter to confirm a UFC 173 co-main event showdown between light heavyweight standouts Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier.
Ranked No. 6 and No. 5 in the division, respectively, the winner of this bout will take a leap toward title contention in the light heavyweight division.
Henderson most recently knocked out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2, while Cormier debuted at light heavyweight in February at UFC 170, defeating Patrick Cummins via TKO in Round 1.
Before his decision to drop to 205, Cormier racked up 13 straight wins as a heavyweight, taking out notable opponents such as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Josh Barnett, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson.
This Henderson vs. Cormier matchup was originally targeted for UFC 175 in July, but White’s SportsCenter announcement confirms that the bout will instead take place May 24 at UFC 173, more than a month ahead of schedule.
For the 43-year-old Henderson, this news represents a questionably quick return to action.
Henderson’s recent victory over Shogun occurred March 23, meaning that Hendo will step back into the UFC Octagon almost exactly two months after that battle.
This would not be unheard of if Henderson had got in and out unscathed against Shogun, but the reality is that Hendo absorbed a ton of punishment in that fight and was nearly stopped on multiple occasions.
With 41 fights on his record—many of them rock ’em, sock ’em scraps—Henderson’s decision to jump back into the fire against an elite opponent like Cormier may prove costly both now and in the future.
That said, counting out Henderson is a deadly thing to do, and he undoubtedly understands his body and feels he is ready to make a run to the top.
Who are you taking in this fight? Will Hendo turn back time and throw himself back into title contention with a win, or will Cormier remain unbeaten?
Daniel Cormier will not take another fight after his UFC 173 showdown with Dan Henderson—unless it involves a shiny, golden belt. 
