“Second Place Is A Habit”
Jon Jones began to use that phrase to describe Daniel Cormier in the lead up to their fight at UFC 182. The phrase was harsh, and unfortunately for Cormier, it became a reality. A man who was a few wins away from Olympic Gold, lost in the finals of the Division 1 National Wrestling Tournament to Cael Sanderson, and even in his high school days, could’t quite reach the top of the podium.
It’s not to say that Daniel Cormier has not accomplished a lot in his athletic endeavors, but at this stage in his life, it’s looking like “DC” fell short on what was probably his final attempt at claiming a world championship title. Jon Jones is the greatest light-heavyweight fighter to ever step inside of a cage, and playing second fiddle to Jones and Sanderson, two athletes that will go down in history as greats, is an accomplishment in its self.
The questions now turn to, what is next for Cormier? Could he conceivably make another run in the light-heavyweight division? Should he move up and challenge the best of the heavyweights? Let’s take a closer look at what the future hold for Daniel Cormier.
If You Don’t Succeed, Try Again
It’s not rare to see a challenger lose to the champion only to get a title shot a few years later. Chael Sonnen got a rematch with Anderson Silva after a great first performance. Frankie Edgar is close to getting another shot at Aldo, who just defended his title against Chad Mendes for a second time. Urijah Faber has been a guy that the UFC has gone to several times when in need of a bantamweight title challenger.
These fighters show that all hope is not lost for Cormier. If the buy-rate for UFC 182 nears the 750,000 buys many have predicted, Dana White and company would give even more thought into giving him another shot at the light-heavyweight crown.
Cormier can also benefit from the short list of suitable challengers in the division. The winner of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson will get the next title shot, but after that fight, there isn’t anyone in the division who Jones hasn’t beat or who has already lost several times to other top 10 fighters. A win over Rashad Evans and the loser of Gus/Johnson could easily be enough to get DC another shot.
Moving On Up, To The Big Side
Cormier was able to dominate some marquee names in the heavyweight division after entering the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. In a tournament that included current UFC Interim-Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Bigfoot Silva, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett and heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko, it was Cormier who came out on top.
Cormier also dropped down to a division that many see as more talented than heavyweight, which has always been regarded as the shallowest division in the sport. If Cormier decided to move back up to 265, it wouldn’t take long for him to climb into the top five of the division.
The only thing stopping DC from moving back up is his training partner, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. Although White hates it when training partners refuse to fight, the reality is that Cormier cut to 205 just to avoid getting matched up with Cain.
Since Cormier’s move to light-heavyweight, Velasquez has seen a string of injuries stop him from defending his title. This has forced the UFC to create an interim title that now belongs to the aforementioned Werdum. If Cain eventually gets stripped of his title due to inactivity, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cormier gunning for Werdum to bring the championship back to AKA.
Retirement
Cormier will have turned 36 when we see him compete next, and although he wouldn’t be the oldest fighter in the heavier weight divisions, it is an age that few fighters continue past. Cormier only started his MMA career at 30, has yet to lose a fight by KO, and has a style of fighting where he absorbs little damage.
Instead of waiting until he receives a couple of knockouts, it would be more beneficial for Cormier to end his MMA run sooner than later. He has a comfy gig on FOX as an analyst, as well is the captain at AKA. Cormier will be able to make a living both off of his analyst job and moving to a coaching position at AKA.
We know that Cormier has a very competitive drive and will likely continue to fight, but this same drive has caused many fighters to stay in the fight game way too long. It’s very doubtful that Cormier will retire from MMA, but I wouldn’t doubt that the thought crossed his mind in the emotional hours after his defeat at the hands of Jon Jones.
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