Daniel Cormier: You can’t train to fight forever
“Act one was me growing up in Louisiana. Act two is wrestling. Act three is mixed martial arts, and I think act four is going to be …”
UFC president Dana White has long described fighting in the league not as a career, but as an opportunity. Few have embraced the opportunity as successfully as former champ champ Daniel Cormier, who has grown into a successful post-fight career as a commentator, and has earned millions.
However, DC has one last fight to go, a trilogy vs. UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. He talked about it all with Damon Martin for MMA Fighting.
I think every great champion can do something for one night, but can a great champion do it for a sustained period of time when they’re at an advanced age? I don’t believe that,” said Cormier.
I might be the most competitive guy on the roster, but it has to stop for everyone. Nobody has the ability to train and fight forever, and I know it. I can feel it in my preparation now. … At 36, 37, they could call me five weeks before a fight and go, ‘Are you ready?’ I’m like, ‘not now but I guarantee you I will be in three weeks,’ and I would go do it. I don’t have that luxury anymore. I need 12 weeks to get myself to where I can do what I need to do to win a fight.
Act one was me growing up in Louisiana. Act two is wrestling. Act three is mixed martial arts, and I think act four is going to be me spending time with my family and me having a TV career.”
When you start thinking about retirement as a whole, it’s like easy for me, especially with the job that I have to look to what’s next. I just got an offer from ESPN to work full time, not from the UFC, but for ESPN the company. I haven’t signed it yet, but we got an offer. I’ve got a ton of interest from the WWE and a lot of other things outside of mixed martial arts in the broadcast field. So that makes it very easy to look for what’s next.”
I just think the lasting image of me will be getting that belt wrapped around my waist one last time. I believe that will be the memory that you want to leave with everyone. There’s a lot of pictures with me getting belts wrapped around my waist. I just want it to happen one more time against a tough guy. A very tough guy.
Call it UG, what will the final image of Daniel Cormier fighting in the Octagon be?