Daniel Cormier has two big worries ahead: a wedding and Anthony Johnson
Rapper Snoop Dogg previews Daniel Cormier before his UFC 210 fight this weekend.
A room-shaking exhale of relief left the lungs of UFC light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier recently as he exited the minus-120-degrees high-tech ice bath of a cryogenic treatment machine.
At least he knows what such a discharge feels like now as Cormier works toward freeing himself of the attention he’s devoted to the more daunting challenges that await him inside and outside the octagon.
Before he can get to the revenge he’s plotted against suspended former champion Jon Jones, Cormier (18-1) on Saturday night is assigned the most difficult challenger possible -- power-punching No. 1 contender Anthony Johnson (22-5) in the main event of UFC 210 in Buffalo, N.Y.
After that, there’s Cormier’s May 27 wedding date.
“It’s very much a great distraction,” Cormier said of his wedding planning duties that have included choosing the ring, venue and dinner menu. “Otherwise, all I’d think about is Anthony. Fighting consumes me. So taking my mind off that has been great.”
The 38-year-old Cormier has plenty to obsess about in the UFC.
In January 2015, after he and Jones fought at a news conference and later exchanged vicious insults, Jones dealt San Jose-based Cormier his only loss, by unanimous decision. It was later revealed Jones had cocaine in his system less than a month before the fight.
Then, after Jones was stripped of his belt for a car crash that injured a pregnant woman, he submitted a positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance 72 hours before the scheduled rematch with Cormier in July’s UFC 200 main event.
“It was the worst thing I’ve had to deal with professionally because we felt like we had done the work,” Cormier said.
“We had a game plan together for a guy who had beaten us before. The whole thing is about getting that win back. To be right on the cusp, right at the doorstep with the opportunity to experience that, and then it being taken away on Wednesday night is very difficult.”
Cormier out-wrestled Jones’ replacement; former longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva to some jeers from those not satisfied with the lack of action.
A torn right-leg tendon postponed Cormier’s date with Johnson from December in Toronto to a Saturday card that also includes a middleweight fight between former champion Chris Weidman and rising contender Gegard Mousasi.
Believe him or not, Cormier says the massive unfinished business with Jones “doesn’t matter” for now.
“Anthony deserves to fight for the belt, [he’s] the rightful person … even if Jones was there,” Cormier said with Johnson riding a three-fight performance-of-the-night knockout streak. “I understand he seems scary. I’m not afraid of Anthony Johnson in the least bit. People talk about his power. I don’t fear him in any way, shape or form, and that’s what allows me to beat him the way I’m going to beat him.”
Cormier submitted Johnson in the third round of their May 2015 meeting.
Johnson promises a different outcome, chiding that Cormier’s confidence is flawed and based on the fact the champion is “his own biggest cheerleader.”
Wearing the belt does bring entitlement, however, and Cormier said that will apply to his treatment of Jones.
Asked if he would expect their rematch to be placed on the UFC’s July 29 card at Honda Center should he defeat Johnson, Cormier noted his commitment to his marriage date and honeymoon first.
“I’m done playing by [Jones’] time,” he said. “He’s going to fight when I’m ready. It’s not about him anymore. It’s about me and what I need for my career to beat him. I’m not chasing him. You say he’s like my Moby-Dick, my white whale, but [Ahab] chased Moby-Dick. I’m not chasing [Jones] anymore. When he comes back, great. If not, I don’t care.”
There’s the added pressure of Cormier fighting in the name of his San Jose gym, AKA, which counts former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and recent interim featherweight title challenger Khabib Nurmagomedov as members.
In addition to Cormier’s injury before the December card, Velasquez (back) was declared unfit to fight later that month by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Rockhold (knee) pulled out of a fight in Australia and Nurmagomedov missed weight to scrap his March 4 fight against Tony Ferguson.
“I love having the opportunity to go carry my gym on my back and show people what we’re doing works,” Cormier said.
“We don’t do anything [more risky] than anyone else. We do it with extremely high-level guys and sometimes people get hurt. Cain said something crazy. Khabib’s pullout was unfortunate. Rockhold got hurt. It’s because we have so many high-profile guys in top spots on big cards [that] it’s noticed more, but there’s injuries all over the place. I feel like we have the best gym in the entire world.”
Twitter: @latimespugmire
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