If Daniel Cormier wants to face Brock Lesnar before he retires from mixed martial arts, UFC president Dana White is committed to making that happen for him.
In recent weeks as rumors have been swirling that the UFC is working on a showdown between Cormier and Lesnar later this year, there has been plenty of blowback that the former heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar would jump the line to get a shot at the title when his last recorded win came in 2010.
Cormier has continued to push for the fight after an in cage encounter with Lesnar last July just seconds after he won the belt with a first round knockout against Stipe Miocic.
For all the complaints made about this potential fight, White defended Cormier for asking to face Lesnar next while also explaining why he’s trying so hard to make that fight a reality for the reigning heavyweight champion.
“The Cormier-Lesnar rumors weren’t true, that I had something done. That was never true. I’ve been talking about that’s the fight that Cormier wants,” White explained at the UFC 236 post fight press conference. “I saw a lot of people giving Cormier s—t on the internet cause he wants that fight.
“First of all, Brock Lesnar wants to come back. I don’t know when and when we’ll get it done. Daniel Cormier has done everything we’ve ever asked him. He’s fought everybody we’ve ever wanted. He’s been a great champion. He’s an incredible ambassador to the sport. If he wants the Brock Lesnar fight, why shouldn’t he get the Brock Lesnar fight? He’s talking about retiring and he wants to fight Lesnar.”
White says that Cormier still has two very difficult tests ahead of him before retirement that would certainly appease the hardest of hardcore fans who want to see him face the best possible competition in his own division rather than a fight against Lesnar.
Still, White really hopes he can put the fight together between Cormier and Lesnar, although there is still nothing set in stone regarding that matchup actually happening any time soon.
“He’s still got two nasty fights before he retires,” White said about Cormier. “He’s got Jon Jones and he’s got Stipe Miocic. If the guy wants to fight Brock Lesnar, he’s going to fight Brock Lesnar if I can get it done and if I can make it happen.
“I don’t know when but like I said, Brock lets me know when he’s ready.”
