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NEW YORK – If you're a fan of Daniel Cormier, enjoy it as much as you can. The days of UFC champion as a fighter seem to be numbered.
On Saturday night, Cormier (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) retained his heavyweight title with a dominant performance against Derrick Lewis, winning the second round of their main event UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden.
With the win, Cormier, who also holds the light heavyweight title, has stayed the course for an appointment with Brock Lesnar. It remains to be seen when this fight will take place, but the pay per view UFC 235 announced in Las Vegas sounds good for Cormier.
"It may be the fight for ol 'DC's retirement. It's crazy, is not it? When you start thinking about it, said Cormier at the post-fight press conference of UFC 230. "Talk about having the opportunity to make a record, to make one in Vegas against Brock Lesnar before I turned 40, two weeks before my birthday, my biggest fight. Yeah, it's crazy.
But first, a little free time.
Cormier accepted the fight with Lewis just four weeks in advance to complete a busy 2018 year in which the 39-year-old champion fought three times. The victory over Lewis marked history, with Cormier becoming the first fighter in the history of the UFC to successfully defend titles in two different divisions.
Cormier injured his back on Saturday morning while sneezing, it almost did not happen, reminding us that it is absolutely necessary to take some rest, as seen by UFC President Dana White.
"I really like it a lot for this fight. He needs to stay away, spend time with his family and look after his body, "said White. "You think about Comier, this guy has been doing this for a very long time, you know, fight and mixed martial arts. He will soon be 40 years old. He has a lot of wear on his body. Rest here. He's an absolute monster, man. He is so talented. And when I say talented, in every way, shape and form. "
At retirement, it seems unlikely that Cormier is conducting a trilogy with Jon Jones, who has already lost twice before. Cormier's second loss to Jones, however, was canceled following his suspension by the US Anti-Doping Agency for failing a drug test.
Jones is expected to face Alexander Gustafsson on Dec. 29 at UFC 232, during which Cormier will be officially stripped of his 205-pound belt once the fight begins. A third fight between Cormier and Jones is the one White said he'd like to see – even if Jones is not there. But knowing that Cormier had the retreat in mind, White said he was not about to try to convince him to continue fighting beyond the desired expiration date.
"No, I've never convinced anyone to stick around," said Cormier. "If someone thinks he's finished, he thinks he's already done it, you'll never hear any argument coming out of me."
Cormier said his relationship with the UFC was going smoothly and he was happy to hear White end a break. Hopefully, he also agrees that the UFC 235 is his last fight.
"I'm glad he wants me to take a little time because I stepped in very quickly," said Cormier. "Honestly, I have fought three times this year with three finishes – three championship fights, three finishes. I had a great year, probably one of my most active years that I have known for a long time. And it feels good to raise your hand. It seems that March 2, 2019 could be the last time you will see me fighting in the Octagon.
For full coverage of UFC 230, see the UFC Events section of the site.
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