Daniel Cormier on Stipe Miocic; “Taking my glove off..would’ve be like stealing his thunder”

Daniel Cormier on Stipe Miocic; “Taking my glove off..would’ve be like stealing his thunder”

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Daniel Cormier

The combat sport has some honored rituals at the time of retirement. If a fighter is on last fight, they drops their gloves on the mat at the end of their final match.

The UFC Heavyweight Daniel Cormier could have had such a moment at UFC 252 on 15 August. Whether a victory or a defeat, his fight against Stipe Miocic was expected to be his last and final fight.

After he lost to Miocic via an unanimous decision, Cormier denied to make a spectacle of himself in the Octagon. But he later admitted in a post-fight interview that he was retiring.

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Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic

Now, on Monday Cormier explained the reason behind this. He said that he understood his trilogy was a determining factor in argument of GOAT.

With Miocic’s win at UFC 252, he took the last two fights from DC and thus the trilogy. Now, Cormier has claimed that he has a lot of respect for Miocic.

Daniel Cormier on Stipe Miocic

Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic

“In my mind, I lost the fight,” Cormier said. “It’s Stipe’s moment. He’s the champ. Why would I do that? Because a guy like me retires in the octagon there, and that’s what people talk about. I think in the standings of the world, there’s a difference between Stipe and I. And if I’m in there and take my gloves off, it’s almost like I’m stealing his thunder. I wasn’t going to that.”

Besides that, Cormier also sees it as a matter of reciprocation. When DC had knocked out Miocic to win the heavyweight belt at UFC 226 and become a two-division champ, Miocic also had let him have the limelight.

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“I went to the back to get out of there and (let him) have his moment with his team and let him celebrate,” Cormier said. “He’s done that for me, so I got out the way.”

As two weeks have passes since the fight, Cormier seems to have no bitterness for Miocic. He is of the belief that Miocic won fair and square.

“I thought he won the fight,” Cormier said. “He did a good job, and he deserved to get his hand raised on that night. He won the fight.”

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