Dana White claims that Daniel Cormier has been offered other fights by the UFC, but the former two-weight world champion has his heart set on the trilogy fight with Stipe Miocic.
Cormier lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Miocic back at UFC 241 last year, taking the series to 1-1 between the two men. Now, with very few other contenders in the running, they’re expected to run it back at some point in 2020 — marking three straight years where they would’ve squared off.
During a recent interview with ESPN, UFC president Dana White confirmed that the Miocic rematch is the only fight that Cormier really wants.
"Stipe is the fight he can get up for and that's what he wants."@danawhite says @dc_mma has been offered other fights, but is dead set on a trilogy fight with Miocic (via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/k9bt7thvN4
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 6, 2020
“It’s very clear – [Stipe is] hurt and when he’s not, we’ll make the fight [against Cormier]. Cormier basically came out and said that Stipe has the ability to retire him. He says if he doesn’t take this fight them I’m gonna retire. We’ll see how this thing plays out, but I hope that’s not the case.
“I have offered him other fights,” White continued, claiming Cormier has turned down other bouts. “I don’t want him to retire, I don’t think he should retire. You know me, I’m usually the guy chasing guys to retire. He feels like Stipe is the fight he can get up for and that’s what he wants, and he doesn’t want anyone else. I can’t make him fight anybody else. He needs to do it, so, I’d like to see that fight happen. Hopefully it does.’”
Given the fact that both fights have ended in finishes, it isn’t exactly hard to believe that this is going to be a fight that everyone will want to see. Regardless of if he wins or loses, though, it does feel like Daniel Cormier would have no real desire to continue fighting beyond the trilogy.
Then again, a potential Jon Jones move up to heavyweight could change that.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/7/2020.