Daniel Cormier (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Daniel Cormier became the first fighter in UFC history on Saturday to defend titles in  two different divisions, but as it turns out, “DC” nearly had to drop out of UFC 230.

After Cormier submitted Derrick Lewis with a second round, rear-naked-choke, the heavyweight and light-heavyweight champ told the media this (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“Sometimes I go into the octagon, and I hear in the build-up, ‘When is this guy going to get old?’” Cormier said. “It could happen overnight. I thought it happened this morning when I sneezed, and I slipped my back out. Seriously. We got some pictures that we may release later in the week. I sneezed, and because I sneezed, my back slipped out. I tried to do my morning run and it wasn’t happening.

“At around 12 or 1 o’clock it was to the point where I was kind of singed over and leaning and Bob Cook said, ‘If you don’t get better, then we’re going to have to make a decision on whether or not you’re going to fight.’ It was real close.”

“I said, ‘If you let me take a nap, I’ll see if I feel better,’” said Cormier. “So I woke up and went for a walk, and when I went for a walk and got active, my back started to release a little bit. So it was very scary because I had no idea how we were going to explain that one. I was like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to explain this, when I sneezed and hurt my back.’ That’s getting old. That’s what that is.”

The 39 year-old Cormier moved his record to 22-1, with 1 no-contest, with the victory on Saturday. The accomplished wrestler is expected to fight Brock Lesnar next.