UFC heavyweight Daniel Cormier has been sidelined since a title defense over Derrick Lewis in November 2018. While fans anticipate his return to the Octagon, there has been build up and hype about a potential fight with former UFC and WWE champion Brock Lesnar.
Initially, there were reports that Cormier vs. Lesnar was targeted for August, however, plans have since changed.
According to UFC president Dana White, Lesnar is now “retired” and the heavyweight champion will likely face former titleholder Stipe Miocic in a rematch for his next bout. The targeted date for Cormier’s return remains August.
“Brock Lesnar told me he’s done,” White said, via Brett Okamoto of ESPN. “He’s retiring.”
That echoes comments from White earlier in April.
“(Cormier vs. Lesnar) isn’t even in the works,” White said during a press conference. “That fight might not even happen first. … We haven’t even talked to Brock. We don’t have a date for him right now. The first fight might be Stipe.”
In their first meeting, Cormier scored a first-round knockout of Miocic to claim the UFC heavyweight championship and $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Cormier holds a pro record of 22-1 (1 NC). His most recent win was a UFC heavyweight title defense over Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 on November 3, 2018. Cormier has not suffered an official loss since January 3, 2015, at UFC 182 when he lost a decision to former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones also scored a knockout win over cormier at UFC 214 in July 2017, but that was overturned after Jones tested positive for turinabol.
