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Daniel Cormier has stated multiple times that the conclusion of his trilogy with Stipe Miocic at UFC 252 will also be the conclusion of his storied MMA career. A former two-division UFC Champion, Daniel Cormier will go down as one of the all-time greats of the sport - even more so if he walks out with a victory.
UFC President Dana White, however, doesn't buy Daniel Cormier's talk of retirement. Speaking to ESPN (H/T MMA Junkie), Dana White revealed why he doesn't think Daniel Cormier is going to retire after UFC 252:
“No, it’s not (Cormier’s final fight),” White told ESPN afterward. “No, it’s not. It’s obviously going to depend on how the fight plays out on Saturday night. If Cormier wins in spectacular fashion, this will not be his last fight. And knowing him the way that I do, if he loses, then it will be, ‘I can’t go out like this.’
Dana White admitted that he's always open to fighters when they speak about retirement, but he doesn't believe that either Daniel Cormier or Stipe Miocic should be retiring:
“You know me: When people start talk about retiring, I think they should. Stipe, who people were saying is probably going to retire after this, too, but he squashed that tonight, I don’t think either one of them should retire. They’re two of the best in the world, and they still have a lot left in them. But we’ll see. We’ll see how the fight goes on Saturday.”
Daniel Cormier's head coach Javier Mendez also believes that the former two-division Champion can still compete at the highest level at this age. However, he said that he wanted Daniel Cormier to retire a while ago.
Is it wise for Daniel Cormier to keep competing past UFC 252?
The big question is as to whether Daniel Cormier can continue to fight at the level that he is. His coach seems to believe that he can still perform at the highest level at the age of 41.
However, Daniel Cormier previously stated that he knows his body has limits and explained how he needs at least 12 weeks to take a fight that he knows he can win.
Ultimately, Daniel Cormier's future is secured from a financial standpoint - both in terms of the millions he's made inside the Octagon and his analyst roles. Retirement might just be the best option for Daniel Cormier at this stage of his life.
