Mixed martial arts champ Daniel Cormier is excited to take a break from fighting after a 10-month long stretch where he fought three of the world’s top light heavyweight fighters.
Cormier, who has a record of 17-1 MMA and 6-1 UFC, sits on the 2nd rank in the NOS Energy Drink MMA light-heavyweight rankings. He went against Jon Jones last January; Jones is currently ranked first. After that, he fought ranked third fighter, Anthony Johnson, last May. Most recently, Cormier went against ranked sixth, Alexander Gustafsson.
This closely-scheduled fights took a toll on Cormier, resulting to two wins and one loss. Cormier won over former champ Jones by unanimous decision during the UFC 182 event. This happened before the belt was taken from him and got suspended indefinitely from the competition last April.
Since the MMA title was free for anyone to get, Cormier stepped forward and fought Johnson for it during the UFC 187 event last May. Luckily, he was able to get the title with by a submission victory during the third round. Aside from the belt, Cormier became the first new champ in his weight class since 2011.
Cormier didn’t waste any more time holding on to his belt. After his fight with Johnson last May, he immediately secured another fight a few months later. Earlier this month, Cormier went against Gustafsson during the UFC 192 event. He managed to hold on to the belt once more by split decision. The fight was dubbed as one of the “Fight of the Year” contender.
When Cormier’s suspension is officially lifted, his next title defense would probably be against Jones. The formal lineup of events is still unknown, but Cormier said that this doesn’t bother him. Cormier admitted that he would like to take his time and prepare before coming back to fighting.
“I have no idea (when Jones will be back); all I know is that I’m taking a break. In 2015, I fought Jones, I fought ‘Rumble’ Johnson, and I fought Alexander Gustafsson. I fought the toughest guys the division has to offer – all in 10 months, at 36 years old. I need a little bit of a break. I fought seven times in two years in the UFC. I need some time to sit back and spend with my family. … I want to take a break, and I think I’ve earned it,” Cormier said in a recent interview on “Anik and Florian” Podcast. “
During the UFC 192 event, Cormier revealed that he was pushed to the limit when he went against Gustafsson. Aside from the fact that he was almost knocked out during the third round, he had to endure exhaustion and overcome a lot of blood coming out for him to win the fight.
Cormier admitted that he knew what was at stake when he went up against Gustafsson. He said that the fight was more than just a title; he needed the victory in order for him to set up a future rematch against his biggest rival, Jones.
“Everyone wants that fight. (Before UFC 192) I said, ‘Make no mistake about it: This is a sweepstakes to see who gets that fight against Jones.’ I just wanted to make sure it was me. I’ve long said that Jones is a guy that can really compete with me, and obviously he beat me. At this weight class I feel I’m as good, if not better, than everyone else, and I feel like I’m good enough to beat Jones,” Cormier said.
Cormier’s record is indeed one of the most impressive ones in the MMA industry, with having defeated top fighters like Johnson, Dan Henderson, Gustafsson, Josh Barnett, Roy Nelson, Antonio Silva, and a lot more fighters in different weight divisions. Cormier admitted that he wants to end his career as an all-time great fighter, and for him to achieve this, he would need to win over Jones in a rematch. This would definitely have a great impact on how he’s viewed in the mma industry.
“I do think about legacy. I’m going to fight, but let’s say the wheels start to fall off and I lose or I lose twice, then I’ll probably be done. My resume and my career and my legacy in this sport means more than just collecting some checks. I’m going to do it until I’m not competitive and when I’m not competitive and when I’m not winning at the level that I’m winning now, I’ll walk away. Because yes, legacy does matter to me, and I want to leave a good one in MMA.” Cormier said
“I want to be regarded as the best guy in the world, and I want to fight the best guy in the world. When (Jones) gets back I want to be the guy standing across the octagon with him,” he added.