Who should Daniel Cormier fight if he does not retire?
Daniel Cormier fought Stipe Miocic in a historic trilogy at UFC 252. Going into the fight, Daniel Cormier's legacy was on the line. A win over Stipe Miocic could have cemented his legacy as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time. Besides that, he would have ended his illustrious career on a big note.
However, Daniel Cormier came out on the losing side at UFC 252. After 5 rounds of grueling battle, Cormier lost the fight via unanimous decision. Many fans speculated a retirement announcement from Cormier from his post-fight interview. However, Daniel Cormier has not confirmed the end of his career yet. He did leave the door open during his interview with Joe Rogan. He also did not confirm that he is retired from MMA in his only statement on his loss.
And as per UFC rankings, he is the #2 ranked heavyweight in the world. Considering allthese, it can be argued that Daniel Cormier is still not retired and might come back if the risk is worth the reward.
There are not enough fights out there that would intrigue Daniel Cormier enough to come out the retirement. However, things might change after the recent announcements from Jon Jones.
Recently Jon Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title after dominating the division for over a decade. He also stated that he is moving to heavyweight next if gets the desired contract for future fights. And this might have some impact on the current state of Daniel Cormier.
Should Daniel Cormier fight Jon Jones again?
Daniel Cormier has fought the best fighters in multiple divisions and multiple organizations. And only two fights, Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones were able to beat Daniel Cormier.
Despite the loss in the rematch and trilogy, Cormier already has a win over Stipe Miocic at heavyweight. However, he has lost twice to Jon Jones at the light heavyweight division. Why not fight Jon Jones at heavyweight division to avenge the loss.
Now it can be a big gamble for Daniel Cormier. A win over Jon Jones at heavyweight division will allow DC to have the exit that he always dreamed of. But a loss to Jon Jones might tarnish his legacy.
However, there is a big possibility that Daniel Cormier would beat Jones at heavyweight. Cormier's power at heavyweight is a problem for Jon Jones. Jones' defensive game is still very strong. But, his offensive game has diminished a lot since his last encounter with Daniel Cormier.
Jon Jones will be fighting at the heavyweight division for the first time in his career. But, Daniel Cormier has always been a heavyweight. He made his MMA debut at the heavyweight division. And for a heavyweight, he is too fast and durable.
The two losses to Jon Jones might cloud fans' judgment on how the trilogy between Jones and Cormier would play out at heavyweight. However, it will be a lot more competitive than the first two encounters.
UFC president, Dana White wants DC to keep fighting. And it won't be surprising if White offers the Jones fight to DC and the competitive sportsman in DC makes him come out of retirement for one last dance.