Daniel Cormier (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Daniel Cormier may have weighed in at 246 pounds for his bout with Stipe Miocic last weekend at UFC 226, but the light-heavyweight and now heavyweight champ, says he felt “faster” in the contest.

Cormier, who was competing at heavyweight for the first time since 2013, knocked Miocic out in the opening round to become a two division champ.

During a recent appearance on “The MMA Hour”, Cormier was asked to comment on how he felt fighting at heavyweight, versus 205. “DC” said this (quote via MMA Fighting):

“I felt like I was faster,” Cormier said, “because at 205, I think my speed, it doesn’t jump out at you as much because all of these guys that I fight are pretty fast. So I think I felt faster, I think I felt faster at heavyweight, and then just not having to do that weight cut, it makes such a big deal, man. That weight cut can really, really — it can really brutalize you.

“[Without the weight cut] I was so excited, man,” Cormier added. “I was in the back trying to contain myself. Like, how do I stay the course and not put myself in the fight too early, because without having to worry about the weight management, now I have all this time to think about the fight, and I do a lot of visualization and stuff. So it’s like, when I visualize, I’m like, ‘Wow, I could go and just fight right now. I don’t have to cut any weight. How do I monitor myself and manage my energy in regards to the fight?’ I can’t get too excited, so I was really trying to peel myself back a lot. I was trying to peel myself back a lot when it came to thinking about the fight.”

Cormier is expected to face former heavyweight champ, Brock Lesnar, in early 2019.