Leading up to UFC 252, Daniel Cormier hasn’t waivered at all, about his plans to retire after he battles Stipe Miocic for the third time. But, Dana White believes Cormier will likely fight again, if he wins or loses, Saturday night.
White says tomorrow will not be Cormier’s final fight
If you’ve followed Cormier over the years, you know that for a long time, he said he would not fight after he turned 40. But, when injuries and scheduling prevented him from competing as much as he wanted to in recent years, ‘DC’ changed that plan.
Following his loss last summer to Miocic, the 41-year-old Cormier pushed hard for a rubber match with the heavyweight champ. ‘DC’ got his wish, and as the fight’s approached, he’s continued to say it will be his last bout.
But, while talking to ESPN yesterday after the pre-fight presser for UFC 252, White had this take (quotes via MMA Junkie).
“No, it’s not (Cormier’s final fight),” White argued. “No, it’s not. It’s obviously going to depend on how the fight plays out on Saturday night.
If Cormier wins in spectacular fashion, this will not be his last fight. And knowing him the way that I do, if he loses, then it will be, ‘I can’t go out like this.’
“You know me: When people start talk about retiring, I think they should. Stipe, who people were saying is probably going to retire after this, too, but he squashed that tonight, I don’t think either one of them should retire.
They’re two of the best in the world, and they still have a lot left in them. But we’ll see. We’ll see how the fight goes on Saturday.”
Although White doesn’t think Cormier will retire, he maintains he’s not contemplating what match-ups could be next for the legend.
“There is no plan,” White said. “I’m going to watch the fight on Saturday, I’m going to see who wins, and then on Tuesday there will be a matchmaker meeting, and we’ll go in and start talking about what’s next.”
Could White be right?
So, White has made similar comments in the past, in terms of his contention Cormier won’t retire.
There’s no question that Cormier is extremely competitive. But, if he loses to Miocic on Saturday, it’s somewhat hard to imagine him returning to the cage.
Would he, or his family, really want to see him fighting again and possibly incurring a third straight loss?
Now, if Cormier does reclaim the heavyweight belt and his rival Jon Jones wants to fight him for that belt, things could get interesting.
Cormier has said he’s put his feud with Jones behind him. But, even his longtime coach Javier Mendez believes ‘DC’ could be on board if the UFC comes with a big offer.
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