Former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier gave a scathing prediction for how an MMA fight with Jake Paul would go.
Paul, who has won all three of his professional boxing bouts, has been poking at Cormier since his win over Ben Askren on April 17, calling him “fat boy” and challenging him to a boxing match.
The two got into a verbal altercation at UFC 261 last Saturday while “DC” was commentating the event and Paul was spectating.
During Monday’s episode of DC & Helwani, Cormier gave his side of the incident with “The Problem Child,” saying that he wanted to “smash his face.”
DC said he confronted Paul while he had a break during the event. Recounting the moment, Cormier said he and Paul had a back-and-forth discussion, with DC telling The Problem Child to “keep his name out of his mouth.” Paul told Cormier to “sign the contract,” in which Cormier to Helwani that there is no contract.
GettyJake Paul attends a news conference for Triller Fight Club’s inaugural 2021 boxing event at The Venetian.
Helwani asked Cormier if he would box Paul, and DC said he wouldn’t, but he would come out of retirement and drop back down to 205 pounds to fight Paul in an MMA match. Cormier said he won’t “go play on his playing field.”
“Why would I go and box Jake Paul,” DC said. “Who I am doesn’t make me chase anything. I’ve made my money as the heavyweight champion of the world. I don’t have to chase a payday. This kid wants to fight, okay, I’ll fight him. But it’ll be in mixed martial arts competition.”
“This is not going to be fun,” DC said. “I’m telling you right now, at 42 years old, bad back and everything, I’m going to torture him. And I’m going to hurt him. I don’t want to box him. I don’t want to fight in a limited skillset of rules.”
“I’m going to smash him,” Cormier continued. “I’m going to hurt him and then he can go back to fighting these YouTube kids.”
“I’m going to rip his face apart,” DC said. “I’m going to hurt the kid. And I’ll teach these kids not to continue to do this with people like me, athletes.”
Cormier reiterated that he doesn’t want to fight as he’s happily retired, but if Paul’s “going to continue to say my name. And he continues to do this, then he’s got to fight me in a mixed martial arts competition.”
Listen to DC’s full rant below:
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Cormier Retired from MMA Last Year After His Trilogy Fight With Stipe Miocic
DC is a bonafide UFC legend, earning two divisional titles and defending them both. He hung up his gloves after his third fight with Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title in August 2020. Going into the fight at UFC 252, DC and Miocic were 1-1 against each other.
The contest went all five rounds and Miocic retained the heavyweight strap via unanimous decision.
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Cormier Has Only Ever Lost to Two Men in MMA
GettyDaniel Cormier poses with Jon Jones during the UFC 214 weigh-in at Honda Center on July 28, 2017 in Anaheim, California.
DC retired with a professional MMA record of 22-3 with one no contest. During his MMA tenure, he defeated the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva and Anthony Johnson.
There are only two fighters with victories over Cormier, Miocic and light heavyweight GOAT Jon Jones.
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Daniel Cormier’s Legendary Rant: ‘I’m Going to Rip His Face Apart’