Cormier Would Only Return for Shot at Title
Daniel Cormier has enjoyed watching fights in the UFC from his octagon-side commentary seat for the past three years. Cormier, recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, is still asked about the possibility of returning to the octagon. At the same time, the thought is unlikely for Cormier, who is 43 and hasn’t been an active competitor for several years.
However, Cormier still has a few rivals involved in the championship picture. With the UFC needing help building stars in its heavyweight division, there is always a chance Cormier could be called upon to provide some spark to a championship bout. Whether that day will ever come seems unlikely to most MMA news sites, but stranger things have happened in combat sports.
Cormier’s generation of fighters has yet to taper off. So, there are still a few rivals that are hanging around that may be able to coax Cormier back. But an obscene amount of money or title opportunity would have to be involved. While the possibility is highly unlikely, it is fun to think of what could bring the two-time champion back to the sport.
Cormier Got a Late Start to MMA
Cormier, a decorated amateur wrestler, qualified twice for the Olympic games. While Cormier couldn’t grab a medal, he did place fourth on his first appearance. Cormier was a standout wrestler at Oklahoma State, battling former gold medalist Cael Sanderson in the NCAA Tournament during his collegiate career. The pursuit of Olympic glory slowed down the rest of Cormier’s career.
Cormier didn’t make his MMA debut until 2009, when he knocked out Gary Frazier in the first round. It was a part of a quick climb up the top for Cormier. Cormier would take 11 fights to find a spot in the UFC.
Along the way, Cormier impressed by winning the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. Once Cormier got into the UFC, he was able to settle in as a light heavyweight. After winning two fights in the lighter weight class, Cormier earned his first title shot against Jon Jones in January 2015 at UFC 182.
While Cormier’s fighting excellence was already known before he was paired with Jones, the promotion surrounding the fight helped shoot Cormier into the stratosphere of top MMA stars.
Could Rivalry With Jones Bring Cormier Back
Cormier and Jones don’t like each other. The dislike started when the pair first met. Jones told Cormier, an Olympic wrestler, he thought he could take Cormier down. That rubbed Cormier the wrong way. He would end up having a long rivalry in the octagon and on social media with Jones.
Jones won their first bout at UFC 182 by decision. After Jones was forced to vacate the belt due to legal troubles, Cormier stepped in and won the light heavyweight crown at UFC 187. Cormier defended the belt twice before having a rematch with Jones at UFC 214 in July 2017.
Jones’ knockout win over Cormier at UFC 214 was overturned after Jones tested positive for a turinabol metabolite, which reinstated Cormier as champion.
Jones is the current UFC heavyweight champion, though he is now injured. Jones was supposed to fight former champion Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight crown recently, but the fight was called off when Jones was hurt.
Jones, also nearing retirement, still wants to fight with Miocic as a legacy bout, despite the UFC holding an interim title fight that Tom Aspinall won. It is hard to imagine the UFC making Aspinall wait much longer, but another Cormier and Jones fight would likely make them pause to consider things.
Miocic Battle Would be Enticing for Cormier
If Miocic wanted another fighter before he retired, he might see if Cormier was interested after Micoc recaptured the title. Cormier became one of the only UFC fighters in history to hold championships in multiple weight classes concurrently when he knocked out Miocic at UFC 226.
Cormier would defend the championship once against Derrick Lewis before rematching Micoci at UFC 241. Miocic would return the favor to Cormier in their second bout, finishing Cormier in the fourth round with a flurry of punches. Cormier and Miocic paid off their trilogy with another fight at UFC 252.
Miocic would win that fight with a comfortable decision. Cormier thought he’d won the fight, and while it was close, Miocic had better statistics throughout the bout. MMA latest updates show that Cormier never took another fight after his last one with Miocic, as he moved immediately to commentary.
Cormier finished his career with a 22-3 record. He finished with ten knockouts and five submission victories. While being unable to defeat Jones will always hang over Cormier, becoming a double-champion has made Cormier’s tenure in the UFC one of the most impressive in the company’s 30-year history.
Cormier Has a Comfortable Gig Now
Cormier never really left the UFC. Many fighters will go out and try different things, but the UFC was able to help Cormier grow into a major part of their commentary team. Cormier has also done a lot of pre-fight interviews and other things to promote the organization.
That allowed Cormier to have more time with his family, as he is married with several kids. It’s hard to imagine Cormier wanting to throw himself back into competition.
Refereeing Holds Appeal
Cormier said he was asked to return and fight Jiří Procházka for the light heavyweight championship fight at UFC 282. However, Procházka would end up being injured in training. The light heavyweight championship would be contested between Magomed Ankalev and Jan Blachowicz and ended in a draw.
Cormier served as a guest referee at a WWE event and expressed an interest in doing that again. Cormier said that he never plans to go back to fighting but will only do so in a rare unforeseen circumstance if he can win a championship, according to MMA breaking news.
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