UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier shocked the world back at UFC 226. The reigning champion knocked out Stipe Miocic within the first round of their main event match up for the UFC heavyweight title.
Directly after his historic victory, D.C. called out former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Some fight fans were seemingly irked by the call out, as Brock Lesnar is still under suspension for a failed drug test from back at UFC 200. Beyond that, Stipe Miocic has been arguing for an immediate rematch. Since he is holds the record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC history, Miocic has largely been considered as one of the most successful heavyweights within the sport.
While Cormier waits for Brock Lesnar’s final six months of suspension to end, the reigning two-division champion recently accepted a fight against talented heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis for the main event of UFC 230. The fight will take place Nov. 3 in the Madison Square Garden in New York. The event will be featured live on pay-per-view.
Speaking to ESPN, Daniel Cormier has now come forward to reveal why he did not want to fight Stipe Miocic at UFC 230 despite Miocic’s recent campaign for an immediate rematch.
“I didn’t think I was going to fight on this card, but the deal I got was so good. There was no way I could say no, honestly. Especially with a guy like Derrick, who is not known for the best cardio. I’ve got to start fast and hope I can push harder than him, even with a short camp.”
“I would not have accepted a rematch against Stipe Miocic, he’s too good under these circumstances. I’m not saying Derrick isn’t good, but Stipe is capable of beating me in different ways. He does different things well. I think in this fight, Derrick has to knock me out to win.
“Usually, if a guy only has one path to victory, I do pretty well. Yes, I will admit the opponent factored into this.”
