WWE Rumors: Daniel Cormier Reportedly Still Being Targeted By Company After Loss At ‘UFC 241’
Following his knockout loss to Stipe Miocic at UFC 241 on Saturday, rumors are swirling once again regarding the possibility of former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier becoming the latest mixed martial arts standout to make the switch to professional wrestling. Although he stressed during the post-fight press conference that he has yet to make a decision on his next career move as a UFC fighter, the latest update from ProSportsExtra‘s Brad Shepard suggests that WWE might still be interested in signing him to a contract, much like the company did with recent MMA-to-pro-wrestling crossovers such as Ronda Rousey and Matt Riddle.
On Sunday, Shepard took to Twitter, where he replied to a post from MMA journalist Jade Morris that quoted Cormier’s post-UFC 241 statement on his chances of retiring from the sport. In his reply, Shepard cited an unnamed WWE source, who supposedly messaged him to say that WWE has “a lot of interest” in bringing the 40-year-old UFC star into the company.
As quoted by Sporting News, Cormier admitted to reporters at the UFC 241 post-fight press conference that Saturday night’s heavyweight championship loss to Miocic was a “tough pill to swallow.” However, he also emphasized that he’s not going to make a retirement decision “based on emotions.”
“At 40 years old, and so many other opportunities [available], I need to speak to my wife and make an educated decision as to what we’re going to do.”
Per USA Today, Cormier vs. Miocic at UFC 241 was a rematch of their first fight at UFC 226 in July 2018, which saw “DC” deliver a first-round knockout to his much larger opponent and become a first-time heavyweight champion.
My latest profile of Daniel Cormier is here. On Miocic, Jones, WWE and so much more. https://t.co/4CJkEUeYei
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) August 15, 2019
Given the growing number of former MMA stars who have since made the switch to professional wrestling as part of WWE’s roster, the company has been known to approach some of UFC’s biggest names in hopes of signing them to some sort of contract. As noted by Give Me Sport, WWE had previously made unsuccessful attempts to recruit former two-division champion Conor McGregor and had apparently spoken to former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre during last year’s ESPYS award ceremony, only for St-Pierre to turn down the offer.
While it’s still far from clear whether or not Daniel Cormier will be WWE-bound following his loss at UFC 241, the former heavyweight champion had recently teased the possibility of “following” Brock Lesnar to the company, as reported last month by Wrestling Inc. Although rumors had long hinted at a possible UFC bout between Cormier and Lesnar, plans for this fight fell through when Lesnar — a former UFC heavyweight champion himself — officially retired from mixed martial arts earlier this year.
