Daniel Cormier Comments On ‘Top Heavy’ Light Heavyweight Division
Daniel Cormier is gearing up to defend his UFC 205-pound title in a rematch against surging No. 1-contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in the main event of April 8’s UFC 210 from Buffalo, New York, but he isn’t oblivious to the scarcity of the division and the lack of legitimate title threats currently occupying the 205-pound waters.
Aside from Johnson, Cormier feels as if only former champion Jon Jones, who’s currently serving out a suspension, and former title challenger Alexander Gustafsson, who Cormier beat in 2015, can realistically challenge for the title:
“It’s a very top-heavy our division,” Cormier told MMAjunkie Radio this past week. “You have Anthony and myself and Jones when he gets back (from suspension) and Gustafsson, but I just don’t know if the rest of those guys can actually compete. For me, it’s not even about those guys. I’ve got my next three fights mapped out: I’ve got to fight Anthony Johnson, I’ve got to fight and beat Jon Jones and then I have to fight and beat Jon Jones again. Then I will have accomplished everything I could have ever accomplished in the sport of mixed martial arts.”
The light heavyweight division was once the UFC’s marquee division, but it is currently lacking contenders as well as prospects, aside from perhaps 30-year-old Misha Cirkunov, who has compiled a 4-0 record inside the Octagon. Cormier’s focus isn’t lying on the division’s rising contenders, however, as he knows his career doesn’t have many fights left in it:
“I don’t really have to worry too much about Cirkunov, because by the time Cirkunov is ready to fight for a championship my journey may be complete,” Cormier said. “I’m not too worried about those young guys. That’s going to be for the guys that are in their mid-20s and early 30s to worry about. I’m 37, going to be 38 (on) March (20), so I know what I’m doing.”
While he may be nearing the end of the road, “DC” is still set on fighting the best in the world, although he wouldn’t mind if he never had to share the Octagon with Gustafsson again:
“Even though it’s top heavy, my desire is to fight those guys in that very top part of the division. I don’t really have the desire to fight those other guys. I want to fight Jones. I want to fight ‘Rumble.’ I would fight Gustafsson, but would prefer not to because that guy really did take me behind the woodshed last time (we fought at UFC 192). I would prefer not to fight Gustafsson, if I’m going to be honest.”
What are your thoughts on the division and how do you expect Cormier’s rematch with Johnson to play out?
