Three Fights Daniel Cormier Should Take Next

Daniel Cormier hung up the gloves after his UFC 252 loss to Stipe Miocic in August 2020, closing a Hall of Fame career as the second fighter to hold belts at heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight and heavyweight simultaneously. But if DC ever reconsidered retirement — or if the UFC pitched him a legacy fight lucrative enough to override his Fox and ESPN commitments — these three matchups would be worth watching.

1. Stipe Miocic trilogy rubber match at heavyweight. Cormier and Miocic split two grueling title fights, with DC knocking out Stipe in the first meeting and Miocic reclaiming the belt via fourth-round body shots in the rematch before finishing Cormier by TKO in their third encounter. A fourth bout would be the cleanest narrative play: two aging legends with nothing left to prove settling the score one final time. The stylistic clash — Cormier's Olympic-caliber wrestling and dirty boxing against Miocic's patient jab and countering right hand — produced three of the best heavyweight title fights in UFC history. Both men are north of 45 now, which would make this a coin flip instead of a mismatch, and the winner could claim the tie-breaker bragging rights forever.

2. Jon Jones at heavyweight. This is the fight that never happened, the matchup Cormier wanted before Jones moved up to heavyweight and DC retired. Jones has fought just once at heavyweight since 2020, submitting Ciryl Gane to win the vacant title at UFC 285, and a Cormier showdown at the bigger weight class would erase the size disparity that plagued their two light heavyweight meetings. Cormier lost both fights to Jones — once by decision, once by head-kick knockout later overturned to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for turinabol — and the rivalry remains the most personal in MMA history. Jones would enter as the favorite, but Cormier's wrestling could be more effective at heavyweight, where Jones has fought sparingly and shown rust. The trash talk alone would move pay-per-views.

3. Francis Ngannou under a cross-promotional banner. Ngannou left the UFC in early 2023 after a contract impasse and has since fought in boxing, notably dropping Tyson Fury in a controversial decision loss. If the UFC and PFL — where Ngannou now holds options — ever struck a one-off deal, Cormier versus Ngannou would be a fascinating test of experience against raw power. Cormier has never faced a puncher as dangerous as Ngannou, whose knockout of Miocic at UFC 260 remains one of the most violent finishes in heavyweight history. Cormier would need to wrestle early and often, grinding Ngannou against the cage to sap his cardio, but one mistake in range could end the night. The fight would require Cormier to prove his wrestling still works against elite athletes in their prime, and the outcome would clarify whether his退休 was premature or perfectly timed.

None of these fights are likely. Cormier has repeatedly said he is content in the broadcast booth, and his body — particularly his back and knees — took enough punishment over 22 professional bouts. But if the number were right and the matchup compelling enough, any of these three would give fans one more chance to watch one of the sport's all-time greats compete at the highest level.