At UFC 241, Daniel Cormier will return to the octagon, rematching Stipe Miocic in what could prove to be his final MMA outing.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Cormier previewed the fight, explaining his expectations in detail. “I think he’s gonna be mad. I think he’s gonna be upset. I think he might a little bit emotional but I truly believe that he’s gonna be a better version of himself. I don’t think for a second, that he’s gonna make the same mistakes that he made this time. I think it’ll be a much more difficult fight.
"There were some areas that Stipe could have done better and I believe his coach Marcus Marinelli is a fantastic coach and he’ll go and address those issues, so I’m gonna have a much tougher fight on my hands this time."
Nonetheless, Cormier remains as confident as ever, provided he can complete his training camp first of course. "I get this done again. I get it done again. I feel like I will prepare myself and be ready to fight come August 17th. If you ask me today, I probably couldn’t beat Stipe Miocic. I’m out of shape, I’m barely getting started. I’m just working man, I’m trying to drop off the extra pounds," he admitted.
"I’ve been living a very, very cushy life since November. Working television and just kinda kicking back and enjoying my family, coaching wrestling. So I’ve got some work to do to get right back where I need to be. That’s why I started three weeks ago, so that I can kinda get a jump on it.”
After turning 40 earlier this year, Cormier is aware that his MMA career is approaching its final stages. In fact, this next bout could even wind up being Cormier's last, especially if he remains true to his prior assessment. “I always said that I was gonna fight until I was about to turn 40 which would’ve been March, on a card March 2nd. I couldn’t make that one so if I hold true to what I was saying, then this would be the final one.
"I don’t anticipate fighting much past this. I just wanna go out there and do my thing but ultimately, I know what led to me having trouble in wrestling. There are so many differences. In wrestling I was like, ‘last time I’m ever gonna weigh in’ and ‘last time I’m doing this.’ I don’t need to be looking at it as if it’s like a weight off of my shoulders.
"I get the opportunity to prepare again. I get the opportunity to go chase another gold belt, a new gold belt. So I really gotta live in that and enjoy that."
Cormier's rematch with Miocic takes place at UFC 241 on August 17th. The event will also feature the long-awaited return of Nate Diaz, taking on Anthony Pettis in the co-headline affair.
