Daniel Cormier (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

Daniel Cormier learned this week that’s he going to have change gears, and do so in dramatic fashion, as he’s no longer fighting Ryan Bader on June 6th. Instead, Cormier has been moved into a May 23rd scrap with Anthony Johnson, which will crown the promotion’s new light-heavyweight champ.

While Bader has showcased a dangerous striking game during his UFC run, the light-heavyweight has also drawn praise for his wrestling and top game. Johnson also has a developed wrestling pedigree, but as Cormier recently relayed to UFC.com, “Rumble” typically uses it to set up his fearsome strikes.

“He’s got big power, and I see a guy now that’s just super confident,” Cormier said about Johnson. “Even in his walk to the Octagon, he looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world; he just knows he’s going in there to get his hand raised. And Rumble’s a good guy. I can’t sit here and fabricate something like I dislike the guy. He’s a very nice guy, and he’s a southern guy, so he’s what you expect – he’s very down home, respectful and nice. Style wise, he’s a power striker with good wrestling, but he uses his wrestling in reverse. He wants to force guys to stand with him so he can knock them out. It’s just like Chuck Liddell. Chuck had a wrestling background, but he wouldn’t wrestle; Chuck would wrestle in reverse and stay on his feet so that he could knock people out, and that’s what I see with Rumble.”

The upcoming bout will mark the first time Cormier’s fought since he was decisioned by the now former champ, Jon Jones, in January. Johnson, on the other hand, secured a title shot that month by stopping Alexander Gustafsson.

UFC 187 will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.