UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier met with promotion officials over the weekend to discuss various things, including a rematch with Jon Jones and possibly fighting in New York. A new eight-fight deal with the UFC was signed during the meeting, as well, DC told MMAjunkie Radio on Monday.
During the interview, Cormier said he didn’t have to “play the game” during negotiations, and the UFC was generous enough to give him the deal he requested.
“I was like, ‘This is what I feel like we deserve as a guy that’s done everything he’s supposed to and carried himself like a professional athlete should carry himself,’ and they said, ‘You know what, you’re right,’ and they pretty much just gave it to me, which is awesome.”
Cormier told the radio station he doesn’t necessarily believe he’ll complete all eight fights on the newly signed contract because he’s already 36-years old. DC got into the sport many years later than most fighters. After a wrestling career, he made his MMA debut at age 30 in the now-defunct Strikeforce organization.
“I don’t even know if I can get through eight fights,” he said.
Since then, he’s picked up a solid record of 17-1 and recently UFC gold, when he submitted Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 187 for the vacant 205-pound championship. He recently defended his belt for the first time against top contender Alexander Gustafsson via split decision, last month.
Former champion Jones was officially reinstated by the organization late last month after being indefinitely suspended due to a hit-and-run accident earlier this year. Jones defended his belt eight times consecutively, including a unanimous decision over Cormier this past January at the highly anticipated UFC 182 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas. A rematch between Cormier and Jones is likely to happen in 2016, but nothing has been made official.
About the author
