Daniel Cormier

By FCF Staff

In recent months there’s been extensive talk about Daniel Cormier fighting Jon Jones for a third time, and regarding how many more fights the legend will take. But, as Cormier gets set to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 241, the heavyweight champ isn’t committing to any future bouts.

For years, Cormier said he was going to retire when he turned 40 this past March. But, after being sidelined with injuries, following a submission win over Derrick Lewis in October, Cormier changed his mind. As a result, speculation continues as to what could come next for Cormier, after he faces Miocic.

But, when asked about his future during a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Cormier said this:

“My head is on this fight. We just go one at a time at this point,” Cormier said. “Because for a champion and a guy that’s been around and been a champion for a long time, at a point you start making such amazing amounts of money and the fame level is so high, people struggle to walk away.

“…I’ve long said I don’t want to be a guy that goes out on my back,” Cormier explained. “A lot of our greatest champions they leave the sport on their back. They leave as former champions. They leave their fans with that last vision of their favorite fighter on their back, [then] standing in the middle of the Octagon while their belt is getting strapped on someone else. I don’t want to be that guy.

“I want to be a guy that goes out on his own terms. I know that as you turn 40 years old, that time starts to near. I just have to decide if that time is now or a little bit later down the line.”

Cormier (22-1, 1 no-contest) ended Miocic’s reign as champion at UFC 226 last July, by knocking him out in the opening round.