“Hey Dana, you think I could fight Jiri Prochazka for the title?” - Daniel Cormier describes the only scenario where he could entertain a comeback to fighting
Daniel Cormier has been happily retired from UFC competition since losing a trilogy fight against Stipe Miocic in August 2020. While the former champ-champ has no plans on returning, he recently said his conditions for a comeback remain the same.
In a live Twitter Spaces chat with Monster Energy, Cormier explained:
"I said this when I retired, I said I'm only going to fight for championship belts. But it's like I I don't deserve a heavyweight championship fight. Stipe is not the champ. He beat me the last couple times. I don't deserve a shot at the heavyweight title. If I was ever going to fight again - which I don't want to - I would have to go all the way back to 205 pounds."
"Why? Let me tell you why. Because I didn't lose. Remember, I vacated. I didn't want to go back down there when Jones was gonna fight Gustafsson, so because I vacated the title now, maybe there is some potential in it: ‘Hey Dana, you think I could fight Jiri Prochazka for the title?'"
When asked if he really wanted to drop back down to light heavyweight, Cormier replied:
"I don't want to, but I would have to. I mean if I had the desire to fight and I wanted to try to accomplish something great one more time, then it would require that [going back down to light heavyweight] because there just is no title fight in heavyweight. I don't deserve a title fight in heavyweight."
"If it ever happens, it better happen soon. I'm 44 years old in March. But hey, Randy Couture won the heavyweight championship 45, so not impossible."
Listen to the full Monster Energy Twitter Spaces interview with Daniel Cormier below:
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As Daniel Cormier mentioned, he never properly lost the UFC light heavyweight title. He won the vacant belt by defeating Anthony Johnson in 2015, then defended it twice by beating Alexander Gustafsson and Johnson again. A 2017 loss to Jon Jones was overturned to a No Contest after 'Bones' tested positive for turinabol, and then Cormier defended the belt again against Volkan Oezdemir.
He officially relinquished his 205-pound title in December 2018, five months after winning the heavyweight belt off Stipe Miocic.
Only two men have ever won and defended belts in two weight classes. Just so happens both were on the Olympic wrestling team. Get your kids in that wrestling room! Good to be apart of history with @henry_cejudo @usawrestling Thanks @ESPN for the graphic https://t.co/J186RwWTYH
Daniel Cormier regrets not retiring sooner than he did
Few fighters have managed to retire on top, and Daniel Cormier believes he made a mistake by not stepping away from the sport after earning champ-champ status in 2018.
According to Cormier, issues with his back got so bad following his first win over Stipe Miocic that on some days he had to crawl up the stairs after training.
In an old video with 'DC' and Ariel Helwani, Cormier said:
"It was bad for a long time, right, there were a lot of times in the middle of training camp I would have to take days off because my back was so beat up. Legitimately, break everything down to the core, all the wear and tear in order to get back to my feet. I remember times in the middle of my championship run or before when I was crawling up the stairs at my house because my back was so jacked up. I was always able to manage it but once I had that surgery it was done."
Watch Daniel Cormier discuss the end of his UFC career below:
Daniel Cormier has since said his back is doing much better, but that's probably because he hasn't tried to push his body through a grueling championship training camp.