With another dominate performance in 2018, UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel “DC” Cormier added to his sure-fire UFC Hall of Fame resume.
By successfully defending his heavyweight title against Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden, Cormier became the first fighter in UFC history to officially hold two titles simultaneously and successfully defend both. Cormier who is affectionately nicknamed “Champ Champ” took Lewis down four times and grounded and pounded his way to an easy systematic victory while showing everyone once again why he’s currently ranked as the No. 1 “Pound for Pound” best mixed martial artist in the world today.
“It’s history, baby,” said Cormier in his post-fight interview inside the Octagon. “History in the making — Daniel Cormier, one of the best of all time!
“I think a lot of people have to understand, I’ve been doing this for nine years. I’ve fought at the championship level for eight of them. There are no surprises with me. If you have a puncher’s chance, that’s not enough. You have to be one of the best in the world to even compete.”
Cormier (22-1) outlanded Lewis 19-4 on significant strikes and 16-2 in significant head strikes, according to FightMetric before submitting Lewis (21-6) via rear-naked choke at 2 minutes, 14 seconds of the second round.
With another win in the UFC’s biggest weight class, Cormier is now 4-0 in UFC as a heavyweight and 15-0 all-time as a heavyweight in his illustrious career. To some surprise due to the historic feat, UFC president Dana White presented Cormier with two UFC championship belts after the fight for Cormier to put over both shoulders just like he did after he beat former UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 this past July.
“I wasn’t surprised, but I didn’t expect him to bring them both out since I was only defending and retaining the heavyweight championship tonight,” Cormier said during his post-fight interview on FS1. “But I’m glad they did it because it was good and a great visual and to do it at Madison Square was awesome.”
The Louisiana native’s only lost in the Octagon is to former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones who is returning to the Octagon to fight Alexander Gustafsson for the light heavyweight championship Dec. 29, at which point Cormier will give up his 205-pound title.
It’s a well-known fact in MMA and UFC circles across the globe that Cormier plans to retire by his 40th birthday which is March 20, 2019. With only four months until his hard-set date to hang up the gloves – Cormier realistically has only one fight left before riding into the sunset.
He’s made it known to anyone who will listen that he wants a big money fight with former UFC heavyweight champion and WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar to end his career. But if that fight somehow can’t be made, Cormier has a “Plan B” already thought out.
“If I don get the Lesnar fight I have said very clearly the only way I’m going to come back down to 205 is to fight Jon Jones and that’s because I want to correct what I did wrong,” Cormier said. “If Alexander wins their fight than that’s just done with and I just fight Brock but I don’t really think about a Plan B because I’m just thinking Lesnar when he’s available and then we will see what happens.”
No matter if you love or hate Daniel Cormier, if you are a true MMA fan you have tip your hat to the American Kickboxing Academy product who unofficially solidified the Fight of The Year award while making a very strong case to being considered the “GOAT” of MMA.
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