Not so long ago light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier seemed adamant that he wouldn’t be moving up to heavyweight, but now he’s signed up to fight the division’s kingpin Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.
In a new interview ‘DC’ speaks out about his decision to take the superfight, and by the sounds of things he’s more than up for the challenge.
“I’m excited,” Cormier told TMZ Sports. “It’s a big deal. Great opportunity to fight the greatest heavyweight champion of all time and try to cement myself as one of the best fighters to ever do it.
“I just want to fight. Plus, it’s such a big opportunity. It’s one of those that you can’t really pass up whenever it’s offered to you. Once I talked to Cain Velasquez and he gave me the go-ahead and well wishes, I was like, ‘You know what? I have to do it.’
“I’ve never been afraid of a fight. That’s one thing: I’ve never been afraid of a fight. It was always about whether or not it worked in terms of what I was trying to do and what my teammate had going. Cain said to me he doesn’t think that he would get a title shot right away — ‘So let’s get you prepared to try to be the heavyweight champ of the world.’”
Cormier also revealed that UFC President Dana White had a big hand in convincing him to take the fight, and by the sounds of things that means he’ll be paid handsomely for what should be one of the biggest bouts of the year.
“[White] is a pretty persistent guy, and when he wants something done, he has ways of getting them done. And let’s just say I enjoy his ways.”
