Daniel Cormier defended his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight title last night (Sat., Jan. 20, 2018) after defeating Volkan Oezdemir via technical knockout in the second round of their co-main event title fight at UFC 220.
And it was a much-needed defense, says Cormier, as he revealed during his backstage interview that despite walking in as champion, he needed the win in order to feel like one.
“I was emotional, it was a relief. I can’t ignore what happened in July. I’m a competitor, Megan, and you know that and I’ve been around this for a long time,” he said. “So even though I wanted to, I came in here as a champ, I needed to get a victory in order to feel like that again.”
Jon Jones defeated “DC” via knockout at UFC 214 last July to dethrone him from the top of the 205-pound mountain. But after “Bones” was popped once again by USADA, the promotion opted to re-gift Cormier the 205-pound title.
As for what’s next for the reigning champion, a long break is in order, as he revealed that he likely won’t return to action until later this summer.
“I take a break. I’m at an age now where I’m not going to be fighting as often. This is my third fight in a calendar year. I fought in April, July and now January. I need a little bit of a break. I will be back in the summer sometime.”
Daniel also stated that his win was extra special since his kids were in the arena watching one of his fights live for the first time ever. Something he said he allowed them to experience since the clock on his fighting career is rapidly winding down.
Enjoy it while it lasts, folks.
For complete UFC 220: “Miocic vs. Ngannou” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
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