On Saturday night, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier became a two-division champion by knocking out Stipe Miocic, the longest-reigning heavyweight champion, to claim the heavyweight title. WWE universal champion and former UFC champion Brock Lesnar was in the front row, and Daniel Cormier didn’t waste any time. No, this isn’t WWE Raw , but what happened after the UFC 226 main event sure felt like it.
During the post-fight interview, in unusual fashion for any UFC fighter, Daniel Cormier took the microphone and cut a WWE-like promo, well, the best that he could. As ESPN documented, Cormier called out Brock Lesnar.
“There’s a guy that I’ve known for a long time, he’s a wrestler, he’s an All-American, he’s a former UFC champion, I never thought I would fight him, but Brock Lesnar, get your as* in here.”
The WWE universal champion was in the octagon seconds later, and Brock Lesnar immediately pushed the new UFC heavyweight champion, and Cormier responded on the mic.
“Yeah, you’re strong, but everybody’s strong. Push me now, you go to sleep later.”
The crowd popped big time with that last line, and Brock Lesnar then cut a promo on DC.
“Let me tell you something, I walked into this building and watched a heavyweight disaster from the beginning. [Francis] Ngannou is a piece of sh*t. Miocic is a piece of sh*t. DC, I’m coming for you mother****er.”
Arguably, the main event followed by this WWE-like promo is the most entertaining the UFC has been in quite some time. Many felt that both Cormier and Lesnar looked like they were having fun, and Dana White could be seen grinning ear to ear in the octagon. As reported by ESPN , Dana White said that “we’re definitely going to make that fight.”
Both the UFC and their heavyweight champion have been criticized with what occurred post-fight, some saying that the whole thing looked fake and staged. As reported by MMAJunkie , Cormier responded to critics during the post-fight press conference.
“‘Staged, they’re idiots.’ Fine. Stay broke. You got a guy like Brock Lesnar in front of you, and you don’t go crazy on him? Are you crazy?…He does fake fighting. So I’ll do fake fighting with you until I put my fist up inside of your face…So, yeah, you guys call it fake online…Tune in and keep lacing my pockets.”
Daniel Cormier said that the professional wrestling fan in him loved what took place after he won the title. He also said that it wasn’t planned and that the shove he received from Brock Lesnar took him by surprise because they have always been on good terms with each other in the past.
During the main event, Brock Lesnar was sitting next to Dana White in the front row. The UFC president said that “The Beast Incarnate” was fired up and excited for the fight. Lesnar thought Stipe was going to win the title because he felt Cormier put on too much weight, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.
Both of these competitors have a wrestling background and have wrestled in the same circles in the past, and fans have often wondered who would win if the two ever squared off. It looks like they may not have to wait too much longer for that fantasy fight to come to reality.
According to the UFC president, Brock Lesnar has six months left in his mixed martial arts suspension. That means the two could meet in the Octagon in early 2019. Other pundits say that the WWE universal champion has only five months left of his suspension, and if that’s the case, that means Lesnar could be back as soon as UFC 232 on December 29. It does seem the fight will take place, as the New York Post reported, Dana White said that the plan was to have Brock Lesnar face the winner of Saturday’s main event. Whether it’s this year or in 2019, once the contest is officially booked, that UFC dream fight will likely bring in huge numbers, which has been the case every time Lesnar has entered the octagon.
“The Beast Incarnate” hasn’t appeared in the WWE since last April at the Greatest Royal Rumble . The WWE has used the champion’s absence as a storyline with Paul Heyman, Brock’s advocate, stating that Lesnar was facing contractual issues due to a lack of confidence in WWE to find a suitable challenger. Both the WWE and UFC have promoted each other’s company as part of the historic deal that Lesnar could perform in both companies. On Sunday, surreally, WWE reported on the happenings of UFC 226 .
“We don’t know who the next challenger for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship will be, but we do know his upcoming opponent—UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier.”
First of all, profound #RESPECT for @dc_mma , achieving his lifelong dream and cementing his legacy in @UFC . On a completely different note, just for the record … ahem …. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROCK LESNAR!!! #UFC226 @WWE #UniversalChampion @BrockLesnar Your Humble #Advocate https://t.co/BhcQhMPNhv
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) July 8, 2018
History-making moments is the story with these two fighters. Cormier is the second-ever fighter to hold titles in two different weight divisions in the UFC. Brock is the only athlete to ever compete in both the UFC and WWE while active on both rosters, and he is the only one who has held the promotions’ main championships. If Brock Lesnar were to fight Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship while he was still WWE universal champion, then history will be made once again.