Daniel Cormier's coach Javier Mendez reveals why he wants him to stay retired
Daniel Cormier ended his career at UFC 252 when he attempted to regain the Heavyweight Championship from Stipe Miocic in their final bout of the trilogy. It also marked his retirement from MMA and he confirmed after his defeat to Miocic that it was all over for him.
Regardless of the result, Daniel Cormier cemented himself as one of the best of all time and has among the most impressive résumés in MMA history. One of the driving factors of Daniel Cormier's success has been his AKA head coach Javier Mendez. He spoke to Hablemos MMA in Spanish (H/T MMA Junkie) and revealed why he wants Daniel Cormier to stay retired:
“He needs to stop,” Mendez said. “He’s 41, and the truth is that he’s not the same person I had when he was 27 years old. He’s gone down a bit.
Mendez mentioned all of Daniel Cormier's obligations and also admitted that given he fought for a title in his last 11 fights, it doesn't make sense for him to keep fighting now in a non-title bout:
“He’s got so many obligations with interviews, television, and it’s best that he doesn’t fight. It sucks that the fight went that way, and he had to leave like that, but you know, he’s one of the best in the world. What he’s done is very big. He doesn’t need to do any more. He’s not No. 1 or 2 pound-for-pound, but he’s four or seven or around that number. What he did is great. I don’t want him to fight, and he doesn’t want to fight because he only wants to fight for titles. And for what? He’s going to make more money with television and other things, and if he’s not fighting for a title, why fight?
Ultimately, Javier Mendez said that he's proud of everything that Daniel Cormier has achieved and praised him for being a great human being who has helped many people, without ever taking credit or publicity for it.
Daniel Cormier's last hurrah and what lies next for him
There is no shortage of employment opportunities for Daniel Cormier post his retirement from the Octagon. He revealed that he's had offers from ESPN, WWE, and various other places, where his role as an analyst would be highly-valued.
It makes sense for Daniel Cormier to stop when he has and there is nothing else he has to prove in his career.