UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) signed an eight-fight contract with the organization Monday.
According to Steven Marrocco of MMAjunkie, Cormier met with the UFC and “emerged with a new eight-fight contract that’s made him ‘very, very happy.’”
Cormier discussed the process, per Marrocco: “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.”
The report noted Cormier did not specify what he received in the contract, although the fighter was also unsure if he would finish out all eight fights because of his age (36).
Cormier fought three title bouts in 2015 alone and will take a break through the holidays. However, Marrocco added Cormier has two obligations “in his mind.” One of those is a potential rematch with Jon Jones (21-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC), who defeated Cormier in January and then left the title vacant when he was stripped of his belt in April for a hit-and-run.
Cormier won that vacant title.
Talk of a rematch was natural after Jones was cleared of jail time, although Cormier reportedly does not want to fight in a planned April pay-per-view event in New York’s Madison Square Garden because he believes “giving Jones a fight in his home state sends the wrong message,” per Marrocco.
Cormier provided more context to his thought process, per Marrocco:
I don’t want to do it. I don’t think he should be rewarded after coming off of what he came off of. I do look at it and say New York fans are some of the most vocal fans in the world, so what if I have a whole bunch of people who are against what Jon did? Maybe it could work different, because there’s no place in the country where, if you’re considered a bad guy, they will boo you louder and let you know more than New York City. But the chances of that happening are slim, because he’s from New York.
The other fight Cormier had in mind was one with Ryan Bader (20-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC). Cormier believes Bader “deserves” a title shot.
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