UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier begins to contemplating about his retirement.
DC recently admitted that a return to heavyweight, particularly for a title fight, would be tempting, Cormier has long had a plan in place, and that plan does not include fighting into his fourth decade on this planet.
DC is now beginning to look towards retirement and recently spoke to ESPN.com about his future in fighting. (Transcript via Bloodyelbow)
“I’ve been pretty vocal about it, that you’ll never see me at 40,” Cormier told ESPN.com. “We may be going into my last year in 2018. And I’m completely at peace with that.”
“It’s time for this dude [nods at his son, Daniel Jr.] to take precedent in terms of sports. I’ve been doing high-level sports since I was 15. I can’t do it forever. I’m ready to give the commitment and focus to my boy, after a few fights. I’ve got a couple [fights] left in me.”
Daniel Cormier could be kicking off the final year of his career when he faces surging contender Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220 in the co-main event on Jan. 20 in Boston.
Cormier has not competed since UFC 214 in August, where he lost the bout via third-round TKO to Jon Jones. The fight’s outcome was later changed to a no-contest after Jon Jones tested positive for steroids.
“I think one of my biggest mistakes has been hinging so much on one person,” Cormier said of Jones. “It’s unfair to my career to base it all on him, but yes, I do still feel he’s the icing on the cake.”
“There’s nothing like a loss. Some people take time and move past it. I never do. All those losses in the big spots — NCAA finals, Olympic semifinals, Olympic bronze-medal match, the fights with Jones — they all stay with me. I think that’s what makes me, me.”
Oezdemir is coming off two straight knockouts in less than one minute each. He starched Jimi Manuwa in 42 seconds at UFC 214 in July. In May, he blasted Misha Cirkunov in 28 seconds at UFC Stockholm.
Who would you like to see Daniel Cormier fight in 2018?
