We’ll be daydreaming about Daniel Cormier’s fight against Stipe Miocic until it gets here in July, but until then we have five months of speculation and debates. Media and fans a like are wondering what will happen if the UFC light heavyweight champion will do if he actually manages to beat Miocic for the heavyweight belt. Some predicts he’d just retire early, instead of fighting until March 2019. Instead, Cormier not only plans to keep fighting, but move immediately back down in weight.
“It’s gonna suck [dropping back down]. Every time it sucks, but it’s my weight class. I owe it to the guys in the division to go back down and fight them. If Alexander Gustafsson wants a fight like he’s saying, I’ll go back down and fight him. But he should fight again, because he barely fights. I’ve fought five times since he and I fought. He’s fought twice. He needs to fight again before we fight. If I fight in July [at UFC 226], I probably won’t be able to fight until the end of the year again. So, Alex should not have been sitting for a year-and-a-half and just waiting for a title shot. That doesn’t make any sense.” — Daniel Cormier speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
Damn alex, like that? Too late bud, this the shit you should have been saying before the fight was made. Now chill before I beat ur face in again pretty boy! https://t.co/Okm0hEW6qt
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) January 31, 2018
Dc u talk about the blachowicz fight?! What about when “someone” predicted the left kick and still u fell for it..
— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) January 31, 2018
Win or lose, Daniel Cormier will move back to light heavyweight after his UFC 226 fight with Stipe Miocic. The move makes total sense if he loses to Miocic, but is slightly surprising if he does indeed take the title from him. Most likely, the UFC will give back the title to Stipe Miocic, or set up a fight with Cain Velasquez for the vacant belt. This could have actually been the plan all along. After all, we know how much of a team player Daniel Cormier is as well as the close relationship he has to former champ Velasquez. Either way, you know Alexander Gustafsson has to be happy about this news.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/3/2018.