WWE News: UFC Legend Says He’s In ‘Very, Very Early’ Talks To Join Company
With one month passed since he announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, it appears that former two-time UFC champion Daniel Cormier is considering WWE as a possible destination while he continues his post-fighting career as a color commentator.
As reported on Wednesday by Sports Illustrated‘s Justin Barrasso, Cormier recently told the publication that he has been in “very, very early” talks with WWE officials about a potential job as part of the promotion’s announce team.
“Put me at the commentary table. Let me call the matches for six months and tell you how great these wrestlers are in the ring. I would love that, and I wouldn’t be faking it. WWE is something I’ve loved my entire life.”
Immediately following his unanimous decision loss to reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 252 in August, Cormier announced that he would be retiring from the octagon, ending a career that saw him win titles in two divisions and have memorable rivalries against fighters such as Jon Jones and Anthony Johnson. However, as he hinted in his interview, he isn’t closing the door on the possibility of an in-ring career as a professional wrestler.
“Then, after those six months, what if I’m sitting next to Michael Cole, and Roman [Reigns] comes over and smacks the microphone out of my hand? But I’m an announcer. Will I hit him back? Then you’re asking if this will happen or not,” Cormier said, describing the type of storyline he would want if he’s given a chance to compete in a WWE ring.
Regarding the possibility of signing with rival pro-wrestling promotion AEW, Cormier admitted that he isn’t that familiar yet with its product, but added that he’s confident the company is doing great as WWE’s top North American competitor. He also touched on a past Twitter exchange he had with AEW co-executive vice president Cody Rhodes over their conflicting beliefs about the state of wrestling, saying that it’s all “water under the bridge” close to three years later. You can view that exchange here.
If the supposed talks make good progress and Cormier decides to sign with WWE as a color commentator, he will become the latest MMA standout to make the transition to the world of sports entertainment. But while the likes of Ronda Rousey and Matt Riddle have enjoyed success in pro-wrestling following their MMA careers, that hasn’t been the case for everyone. Most recently, Cain Velasquez was released this spring after only a few months in WWE. During his time in the company, he competed in just a handful of matches, including a pay-per-view loss to his old UFC rival Brock Lesnar.
