Daniel Cormier Prefers Rivalry With Stipe Miocic To Jon Jones
Although it will be hard to top his rivalry with Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier still prefers his current one with Stipe Miocic.
Cormier will compete in mixed martial arts for the last time when he challenges Miocic for the heavyweight title in their trilogy match which headlines UFC 252 on August 15.
The score is currently tied at 1-1 and the winner of the trilogy will not only leave as the champion, but also as possibly the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. Those are some of the reasons Cormier prefers his rivalry with Miocic, even if it has been heated at times itself.
“I think (this is career defining). We had three fights, and I intend on winning the third fight and the trilogy,” Cormier told MMA Junkie (via MMA Weekly). “It will be difficult for me to ever be completely free of that rivalry with Jones because it was so big. We sold so much pay-per-view, and the rivalry was so nasty. We were so nasty with each other, and the general public paid attention.
“But competitively this is the one that I love, because I’m fighting a guy that has done and stood for the right things and has competed in the right way. Jones is a fantastic competitor, and I feel like still he brought the best out of me in terms of my preparation. But I believe Stipe Miocic has done the same thing now.”
Cormier To Actually Retire After Fight?
As for whether this really will be his final fight in the Octagon? There’s certainly a small possibility he continues.
However, Cormier also wants to emulate Georges St-Pierre by leaving the sport on top rather than having his opponents catch up to him.
“I just believe that, at a point, I have to say money is money, and I’ve made a lot of it, and there’s going to always be more money,” Cormier explained. “If it’s in my heart that this is it then I have to stand firm in that knowing there’s going to be opportunities. You can be the best in the world, and you can always be the best in the world until you’re not. Eventually some time and someone will catch up to you, and I’m just making sure I get the chance to go out on top.
“I’ve won a lot. I’ve been a lucky guy in the sport, and the ability and opportunity to go out on top is unheard of. We see Georges St-Pierre constantly getting asked to come back and just the other day he says, ‘I went out on top. People don’t get that.’ I have that opportunity, and I think if I can complete this task, it’s as big as anything I’ve ever done.
“I’m not really thinking about if my gloves are going to come off. I’ve never even thought about that for a second. It’s just go win the fight and you do that, everything else is just icing on the cake.”
What do you make of Cormier’s comments?
