Daniel Cormier teases Stipe Miocic trilogy may be finalized sooner rather than later

Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic | Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Daniel Cormier has been anxiously awaiting word on a trilogy with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic but it appears he may have a date and location sooner rather than later.

As he celebrated his 41st birthday on Friday, Cormier hinted at ongoing contract negotiations with the UFC to finalize a third fight with Miocic after splitting their previous two meetings.

Cormier revealed the news when speaking to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman during an Instagram live session as both fighters were quarantined inside while dealing with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Look, I know we’re in a crazy time right now with the world and with the way things are and it’s very up in the air but I think for me with the way things are going and the discussions that we had heading into the fight, into all this, the way that the discussions in terms of the fight were going, where I am going to fight this guy for my last fight, it’s going to be as ideal for me as I could ever hope for,” Cormier said. “It’s gonna be beautiful.”

While Cormier stopped short of actually giving the date or location for the fight, he hinted at sharing a card with Usman later this year.

“I know people like getting scoops, and I think if I’m guessing, I think the way things are falling you and I may be spending more time together than most people believe,” Cormier said.

“Obviously we can’t say a date and time yet but it is looking like you and I shall and will be sharing a party and I think that’s going to be a good thing.”

Just before the Super Bowl in February, UFC president Dana White said he was targeting Usman’s next title defense against “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal at International Fight Week on July 11 in Las Vegas.

Adding a heavyweight title fight trilogy between Cormier and Miocic would certainly make that one of the biggest cards of the years.

For now, talks are still ongoing but Cormier has been itching for the chance to settle the score with Miocic after he suffered a fourth-round TKO loss in their last meeting. In the aftermath of the fight, Miocic had to undergo eye surgery, which has kept him sidelined since last August.

Cormier had originally targeted his 40th birthday for his retirement date but as he turns 41 this week, the former two-division UFC champion made it clear that his trilogy against Miocic will be the last fight of what is assuredly a Hall of Fame career.

“I got one [fight left],” Cormier said. “Some guy asked me today, he goes ‘you gonna keep fighting?’. I said no. I said I got one [more fight]. Cause here’s the deal, you fight these guys, they’re 28, 27, I think [Israel] Adesanya’s very young. Some of these guys are very young. I don’t have to fight a young guy.

“Miocic is about to be 38 years old. So I get to fight one more old guy, one more time. That’s it. I ain’t fighting no 27-year-old dude.”