Daniel Cormier suffered a TKO loss in his heavyweight title rematch with Stipe Miocic on Saturday night, but Dana White doesn’t think that’s a signal that the 40-year-old should be looking to hang up his gloves.
“I think he’s one of the best in the world,” White said last night after the Contender series. “I was looking at the (official UFC) rankings today when they came out – it’s just (expletive) insane to me. This guy on Saturday night was the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He loses and drops to No. 7, and he loses to the No. 1 heavyweight contender in the world, and the guy who has the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history, and Cormier drops to No. 7? It’s crazy. He’s much higher than that, and he’s one of the best to ever do it. He’s still one of the best in the world.
“He looked damn good until, like I said the night of the fight, whoever came up with that ‘go to the body’ gameplan in between rounds was (expletive) brilliant. Brilliant. It was even more brilliant the way Stipe executed it. So, yes, I think he’s one of the best in the world, and I don’t think he should retire, but that’s up to him and his family.”
However, White says he hasn’t spoken to either Cormier or Miocic yet to find out what they want to do.
“Cormier? I haven’t talked to him. The fight just happened. I haven’t talked to him, Stipe. I talked to (Anthony) Pettis today, but other than that, I don’t talk to any of the guys. I leave them alone, let them enjoy their family and do what they’re doing. It isn’t until, like, the bruises start to heal and all that (expletive) before they want to start talking fighting again, so I leave them alone.”
White said he won’t press Cormier into making a decision anytime soon. But if “DC” wants to try and take a series lead in a rubber match with Miocic – and assuming the current champ has the same intentions – White believes it’s a fight people will want to see.
“I’ll do anything (Cormier) wants to do, and obviously I’ll do anything that Stipe wants to do. Stipe’s got to want the trilogy, too.”
