Dana White on why Daniel Cormier's retirement is 100% confirmed, Next UFC Heavyweight title bout
Daniel Cormier called it quits on his MMA career at UFC 252 following his defeat to Stipe Miocic. Daniel Cormier had mentioned for a while that he planned to retire after the Stipe Miocic trilogy concluded.
While his original plan was seemingly to retire around March 2019 when he turned 40, plans changed and his retirement was delayed for a while longer. Ultimately, he's done with his career and has left behind an incredible legacy.
The only issue with most retirements in MMA is that they're often short-lived - with fighters returning either for financial reasons or simply because they have the "itch" to feel the same adrenaline rush they get inside the Octagon. Or sometimes, it's simply a matter of pride.
Luckily for Daniel Cormier, he's financially well off after having made smart decisions and has a great legacy to be proud of - even if he isn't the greatest of all time.
Dana White confirmed that Daniel Cormier took a couple of steps further to reaffirm the fact that he's now retired. In the media for DWCS Season 4: Week 5 (H/T MMA Fighting), Dana White said:
“So he told us today to take him out of USADA (testing) and take him out of the rankings,” White told reporters. “It doesn’t get more official than that.”
Dana White praised Daniel Cormier and stated how great it was working with him. He said that Daniel Cormier will be around in roles outside of the Octagon:
“I had such a good time with him (as a fighter). He’s such a great commentator, too. He’ll still be around and he’ll be with this company forever. It’s not like we’re losing him and I’ll never see him again.”
The heavyweight division must move on without Daniel Cormier
Now that Stipe Miocic has defeated Daniel Cormier to cement himself as the greatest Heavyweight fighter in UFC history, the division must move on. For Stipe Miocic, it means going back to face the man he beat before losing to Daniel Cormier the first time - Francis Ngannou.
Francis Ngannou had a rough 2018 with back-to-back losses (including one to Champion Stipe Miocic), but he's bounced back since with four emphatic first-round knockouts over Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Dana White affirmed that Francis Ngannou will get the next title shot over division newcomer Jon Jones:
“He fought Stipe in Boston in 2018,” White stated. “He’s been grinding for two years now and he deserves the shot.”
How will the Heavyweight division shape up beyond Daniel Cormier?