'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Daniel Cormier doesn't want to step inside the Octagon with Francis Ngannou. And after watching The Predator destroy Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, DC is glad he didn't have to fight him earlier.
In the aftermath of UFC 260, commentator Jon Anik told Cormier there was a time when people seriously considered the prospect of a fight between DC and Ngannou.
Anik said Cormier's world-class wrestling credentials and his initial performances in the heavyweight division could have led to a potential fight between the pair.
In response, Daniel Cormier violently shook his head, indicating he wasn't amused by the prospect of fighting the dangerous French-Cameroonian knockout artist. You can't really blame Cormier for not being interested in the fight after watching Ngannou's violent destruction of Stipe Miocic at UFC 260.
Ngannou finally exacted revenge on Miocic for his earlier loss to the former champ and realized his longtime dream of becoming the UFC heavyweight champion.
Daniel Cormier wanted to fight Francis Ngannou following UFC 249
In the past, Daniel Cormier had shown interest in a potential clash for the title against Francis Ngannou. Following Ngannou's quickfire knockout of Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 260, Cormier said he wouldn't mind exchanging leather with Ngannou if such a situation ever arose.
At the time, Cormier was gunning for a trilogy fight against then-champion Stipe Miocic. However, since Miocic hadn't recovered from the eye injury he sustained during his second fight with Cormier, Dana White claimed that he was thinking about vacating the title.
That's when talks of a potential matchup between Ngannou and Cormier were being raised, and DC didn't want to back down from the challenge. Speaking on the UFC 249 post-fight show on ESPN, Daniel Cormier claimed he wanted to fight Ngannou for the vacant heavyweight title.
“If Stipe won’t fight, then Francis Ngannou has earned a title fight. If somebody is fighting Francis Ngannou for the title, it’s going to be me. All respect in the world to Francis Ngannou, but I’m not afraid of anyone. I’ll fight anybody on any planet. I would love to do my trilogy with Stipe Miocic, but if Stipe won’t fight, they’re going to take his belt just like Henry (Cejudo) gave up his and they’re going to make a fight between Francis and I for the belt. It’s as simple as that."
However, the fight never came to fruition, and maybe looking back, Daniel Cormier is thankful that it didn't.
