Many feel that Daniel Cormier has the potential and the talent to one day become the UFC’s heavyweight champion. But as long as his good friend and training partner Cain Velasquez is the heavyweight kingpin that won’t happen.
Some also believe that since Cormier stands at just 5-foot-10 that he could easily drop to 205 pounds and make a serious run at the light-heavyweight title.
However, just hours before a co-main event bout against Frank Mir at UFC on Sportsnet: Henderson vs. Melendez, that’s the furthest thing from the former Olympic wrestler’s mind.
“I’ve got such an important fight on my hands in this next one that I’ve really strayed away from that thought process,” Cormier said on a conference call last week. “I’m not really thinking about the 205-pound division right now.”
Cormier is 11-0 in mixed martial arts and was the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion. The 34-year-old is coming off a second-round TKO win over Dion Staring at the final Stikeforce event in January – Cormier was originally supposed to meet Mir on that card but the former UFC champ was forced to withdraw due to an injury.
Although Cormier has wins over current No. 1 contender Antonio Silva and former UFC champ Josh Barnett, his bout with Mir is considered by most to be his biggest challenge to date.
Cormier has said in the past that he has a desire to fight UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones, but hasn’t guaranteed that he’ll drop a weight division following his fight with Mir.
“I’ve stated time and time again that I want to be the UFC champion and if that means going down to the weight below, then I would do that. But I have the toughest fight of my career in front of me … and I can’t think about that right now.”
“Saying I will consider (dropping down) means I’m confident I can make the weight, but right now I’m focused on Frank Mir,” Cormier added.
Fans can watch UFC on Sportsnet: Henderson vs. Melendez Saturday on Sportsnet ONE with coverage beginning on sportsnet.ca at approximately 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.
On a separate note, congratulations to Showdown Joe and the producers of UFC Central Radio for celebrating six years on the air on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.