Daniel Cormier has finally shared why his highly anticipated UFC fight against Brock Lesnar never became a reality despite years of speculation.
The former two-division UFC champion recently revealed that Lesnar’s decision to remain with WWE ultimately ended plans for the blockbuster heavyweight showdown.
Cormier recalls Lesnar’s promise
Following Cormier’s heavyweight title win over Stipe Miocic in 2018, Lesnar entered the Octagon and confronted the new champion, setting the stage for a potential superfight.
Cormier said the matchup had been discussed long before that moment.
“Man, I wanted that so bad,”
He recalled receiving a phone call from Lesnar before his title fight against Miocic.
“‘It’s Brock.’”
“‘I hear you’re fighting that big white boy.’”
“I said, ‘Stipe?’”
“He said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘You knock him out, it’s going to be Christmas early for your family because we’re going to fight.’”
WWE offer changed their fates
Despite the buildup, the fight was never finalized.
“It didn’t happen because the WWE gave him too much money, and he made the right choice,”
“You talk about a man that money follows, it’s Brock Lesnar. He’s done really well for himself. I’m proud of him.”
Cormier also admitted he underestimated Lesnar’s strength during their brief faceoff inside the cage.
“He pushed me,”
“He was strong. I tried to push him back, because I thought he pushed me soft, but he didn’t even move. I was like, I’m trying not to push too hard, and he didn’t even move. It was crazy.”