With the next heavyweight fight announced for Daniel Cormier, the undefeated wrestler is already looking ahead to his next fight. Earlier this week, Cormier and Roy Nelson officially signed their contract to compete UFC 166, but Cormier is already eyeing the light heavyweight title currently held by Jon Jones.
The fight between Cormier and Nelson will be the co-main event on the card featuring Cormier’s teammate, heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. With Cormier talking about his next fight before the ink has even completely dried up, the undefeated heavyweight is taking a big chance at downplaying the fight he will get from “Big Country.”
Cormier is a legitimate contender to compete in the UFC heavyweight division, but with his teammate at the top, there won’t be a title fight in that division. That makes his fight with Nelson that much more interesting. Nelson is a fighter that many fans and veterans have stated they would love to see compete at light heavyweight in his own right and while he hasn’t warranted a title shot at the winner of Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, could derail the hopes of Cormier doing the same.
When Cormier and Nelson step into the Octagon together on Oct. 19, Cormier will be the odds-on favorite but that won’t make it any easier to get through Nelson. It is also a dangerous move for Cormier to look ahead past the former International Fight League heavyweight champion. He already holds major victories against Josh Barnett, Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and Frank Mir and would love to add Nelson’s name to the list. While Nelson has been an underachiever at various times in his UFC career, he can still compete at a high level and is a dangerous opponent for everyone in the division, especially for those looking past him.
