Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) upset a lot of light heavyweights after allowing reigning 205-pound champion, Daniel Cormier, to move up to heavyweight and capture the division crown.
Not because of that whole “champ-champ” thing, but rather because “DC” was given permission to hang around at 265 pounds to wait for Brock Lesnar to pass all his drug tests en route to their heavyweight super fight in early 2019.
One of the cranky combatants left in his wake is 205-pound power puncher Ilir Latifi, who wants Cormier to either defend his title, or vacate the strap and let the next top contender collide for the crown.
“He’s gotta defend his title at 205,” Latifi told TMZ Sports. “He looks very fat. I don’t think he’s gonna make 205 no more. If you don’t want to fight 205, you can vacate the title and let me fight somebody else. He doesn’t want to take fights at 205 that he thinks are risky. ‘DC’ knows I’m trouble for him. Stylistically, he never fought somebody like me. I’m faster, more powerful, he’s not gonna go more than two rounds with me.”
I don’t want to downplay “The Sledgehammer’s” skills but Cormier has already faced the likes of Anderson Silva (speed) and Anthony Johnson (power), so there’s probably not much Latifi can offer that “DC” hasn’t already seen — and conquered.
Working in his favor is the fact that Latifi (14-5, 1 NC) is ranked No. 3 in the division and the two combatants slotted above him — Volkan Oezdemir and Alexander Gustafsson — have already lost to Cormier in respective title fights.
Is it time for the Swedish “Sledgehammer” to get his shot ... or nah?
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