Daniel Cormier has 'problem' fighting Alexander Gustafsson overseas for UFC light heavyweight title shot

There's something about those Cali guys ... they don't like to leave home.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier, who announced his plans to drop to light heavyweight after defeating Roy Nelson at UFC 166 earlier this month in Houston, Texas (watch it), wants to make sure his first trip down to 205 pounds goes as smoothly as possible.

Losing the weight will be hard enough as it is, no reason to over-complicate the process.

That's one of his concerns if the promotion does in fact take the advice of American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) coach Javier Mendez, who suggested his star pupil battle Alexander Gustafsson for the right to challenge Jon Jones, who recently made the "bad-ass decision" to fight Glover Teixeira next spring.

There's just one problem.

UFC has already targeted Gustafsson for an international fight card. Not only is "The Mauler" a big deal in his native Sweden -- even more so after this gutsy performance -- but the promotion is trying to make waves overseas as part of its upcoming global expansion.

If that's the case, "DC" tells UFC Tonight he would instead "settle" for a bout opposite Phil Davis or Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

"I have no problem fighting Alexander Gustafsson, not at all. The one thing that I'm concerned about -- is being that it will be my first time down at 205 pounds -- is that Gustafsson is going to fight in Europe somewhere next. I don’t want to make my first cut down to 205 oversees. I know what I'm going to need. I know how to find saunas here in the United States and all the food I'm comfortable with that I'm going to need to make weight. It's easily accessible for me here in the United States. I have no problem fighting Gustafsson, but I’d rather not do it overseas. I want the fights that matter, that I need if I’m going to fight for the title. But, yeah, Give me Lil’ Nog -- that'll be a great fight. I want big fights. I want a guy who is a contender."

Meh.

The experienced Nogueira, for the record, has a history of struggling against elite wrestlers, narrowly squeaking past Jason Brilz at UFC 114 before losing back-to-back decisions against Ryan Bader at UFC 119 and then Phil Davis at UFC Fight Night 24.

The Brazilian is also 37 years old.

Davis -- who won the NCAA Division I National Championship back in 2008 -- may prove to be a bit harder to handle on the ground; however, his striking is rudimentary, at best. If only there was a 205-pound contender who was not only as big as "Bones," but who could also strike while stuffing takedowns.

Know anybody who fits that description?

Me too.