As Daniel Cormier prepares for Saturday's trilogy bout with Stipe Miocic headlining UFC 252 in Las Vegas, the title at stake of greatest heavyweight in the promotion's history makes the fight among the most prestigious ever to take place inside the Octagon.
Yet for Cormier (22-2, 1 NC), despite a career resume as a two-division UFC champion that puts him on par with the best to ever do it in mixed martial arts, it's worth wondering whether he already would've secured such a stature had he never exited the heavyweight division for a memorable run at 205 pounds.
The 41-year-old Cormier may not have risen to the star status he currently enjoys thanks in large part to two tussles with Jon Jones, but he also may have been able to run the table in the division when you consider just how dominant he has been during the heavyweight runs that have bookended his 11-year career.
With his sturdy, 5-foot-11 frame and standout wrestling credentials as a two-time Olympian, Cormier has proved to be far too quick for most heavyweights while still strong enough to manhandle them either on the ground or in the clinch. Cormier also evolved from a novice striker when he turned pro in 2009 to a sensational one just three years later when he shockingly cruised to victory in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix as an alternate.
But re-imagining Cormier as a career heavyweight doesn't necessarily guarantee his legacy would be in the same place it is entering such a defining fight to his career -- and one Cormier says he's confident will be his last. That's why DC, who originally cut to 205 pounds in 2014 only because of his respect for training partner, coach and friend Cain Velasquez, who was then UFC heavyweight champion, says he wouldn't change a thing.
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"I just think when people talk about [me] sitting at the table with the greatest fighters in history and being in that conversation, that doesn't happen unless I go down to 205 and become a champion and beat everybody else and then go back and become the heavyweight champ," Cormier told CBS Sports' "State of Combat" podcast this week.
"It defined me the way I was able to combine them together and do them both and beat so many talented guys in easy fights, harder fights, big moments and small moments. I was able to withstand all of that. Even though I do believe I could have had a major amount of success at heavyweight, me going to 205 was the best thing for me."
Despite never beating his bitter rival Jones, Cormier was able to become UFC light heavyweight champion and defend the title three times while Jones dealt with suspensions and controversy. But it's clear from watching Cormier that, even with his TKO loss to Miocic in their rematch last August, he's a more dominant fighter at heavyweight without the difficult weight cut.
"Those guys hit hard and are strong but because they hit so hard, they tend to throw everything hard and they get tired faster," Cormier told CBS Sports in 2018 when describing what makes him so dangerous at heavyweight. "I have fought some guys with fantastic cardio at 205. Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones have phenomenal cardio. The vast majority of the time, the pressure and pace that I fight at will make guys wilt. At 205, it takes a little bit longer for them to wilt and at heavyweight they get tired a lot faster and I can sense it in the fight."
Two years later, Cormier had a brief reminder for what else might've derailed his hopes of ever becoming UFC heavyweight champion had his career arc gone differently.
"And honestly, at the time, Cain was the man," he said.
Therein lies the elephant in the room. When Cormier moved down in weight in 2014, Velasquez still loomed large as a two-time champion despite multiple layoffs due to injury. Even though both have maintained ad nauseam they would never fight, what would have happened had Cormier not been such a great friend and his only path to a title would've been through Velasquez?
Historically, Cormier has taken the high road and always given the benefit of the doubt to his teammate, telling CBS Sports two years ago that he believes Velasquez is the greatest heavyweight of all-time and will become the champion again.
A lot has changed since then, however.
Cormier went on to score a first-round knockout of Miocic in their first meeting to cement his legacy. Velasquez, meanwhile, saw his much-hyped comeback from a nearly three-year layoff end disastrously in 2019 when he was knocked out in 26 seconds by Francis Ngannou while suffering yet another injury.
Velasquez, now 38, left UFC shortly after for a brief run as a WWE wrestler before quietly retiring for good. Yet that still didn't change the stance of Cormier, who is either the best friend a guy could ever have or someone who knows enough from years of sparring with Velasquez to know that he has seen (and felt) too much.
"Even now, I never would have wanted to fight Cain Velasquez for a multitude of reasons," Cormier said. "One, he's my friend and I love him to death but, two, I'm not sure you can beat Cain Velasquez if I'm being completely honest, especially at the time. Like, I couldn't beat Cain Velasquez so going to 205 was great for me in terms of getting myself a chance to be a champ. Also, I felt I was going down a division to a guy [Jones] who wasn't as dangerous as Velasquez is."
So what happens if Cormier does defeat Miocic a second time and decide to walk away from the sport as UFC's greatest heavyweight? Could he possibly expect an invitation, a la Apollo Creed to Rocky Balboa in the final minutes of "Rocky III," to a mano-a-mano duel inside the training gym with no fans or spectators present just so both can know once and for all who really was the best in class?
"No chance, no chance," Cormier said. "We fight each other enough in the gym and that's enough for me. I know that I don't want all of those problems. Those problems are scary enough in sparring, I don't need Cain Velasquez to try and hit me as hard as he possibly can."
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UFC 252: What would've happened had Daniel Cormier never left the heavyweight division? - CBS Sports
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