Cormier defends his UFC light heavyweight title against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220 on Jan. 20 in Boston.
It’s a strange set of circumstances for a title fight. Cormier lost to rival Jon Jones via TKO in July but was reinstated as the UFC’s 205-pound champion after Jones failed a fight-week drug test.
Heavyweight knockout star Francis Ngannou is one fight away from fulfilling the prophecies of being the next big thing. He’s slated to fight champ Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title in Boston on January 20th. DC is also slated to square off against Volkan at UFC 220 card.
If Cormier successfully defends his light heavyweight belt on the same card, he could move up and test that title as well. He was asked about moving back to heavyweight class for a huge fight to end his career in a recent interview and said it’d be ‘the most amazing thing in the world.’
Despite his dominance at light heavyweight, a return to the heavyweight division could be in the future for Cormier.
DC’s coach Javier Mendez recently speaking to Submission Radio and discussed the idea and thinks it could happen, with Cain Velasquez’s permission that is.
“Yeah, [Daniel Cormier moving up to fight for the heavyweight title is] a fun theory too and it could be a realistic theory, and this is how it would work out if it did happen, okay. Cain [Velasquez] would talk to DC or DC would go to Cain, he’d go, ‘Hey, Cain, I wanna fight for the title against Stipe, do you have a problem for me going that one shot?’ And if Cain says yes, which I’m sure if that’s what they agreed on, then yeah, that would happen. That’s not far-fetched. It really isn’t, because that could be something that could happen. But it would be between DC and Cain, they would make that decision jointly together.”
“With everything DC is, he’s a team player. And DC, remember you guys, DC was a great heavyweight and he dropped to light heavyweight not because he had to drop, because of respect for Cain. That’s the only reason why he dropped, because of respect for Cain, not because he couldn’t get that title at heavyweight. No, it’s his respect for Cain, it’s the only reason DC dropped. So being that that’s the case, you have to understand, anything that happens, it’s going to be between those two guys respectfully, because that’s the kind of person DC is, and a lot of people do not ever give that man the credit he deserves.”
Cormier must first defeat Volkan Oezdemir in the co-main event at UFC 220 in Boston at the TD Garden arena on January 20. If Cormier gets past another contender, perhaps a super fight with the heavyweight champion will be in order.
DC has an undefeated career at heavyweight division and within the top five. Moving back to see if he can win the UFC heavyweight title while he’s still light heavyweight champ would be incredibly huge for his career if Cain Velasquez hasn’t already came back and taken it by then.
