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Nicolas Atkin

There aren’t many men who willingly want to step in the Octagon with Francis Ngannou. And some of the ones who do, like Jairzinho Rozenstruik, end up paying a heavy price.
“The Predator” knocked out Rozenstruik in frightening fashion in 20 seconds at UFC 249 on Saturday night. Former champ Daniel Cormier got a first-hand account cage-side during his broadcast duties for ESPN, but said he would be happy to fight Ngannou for the title if Stipe Miocic is stripped of the belt.
“If Stipe won’t fight, then Francis Ngannou has earned a title fight,” Cormier said on the post-event show on ESPN. “If somebody is fighting Francis Ngannou for the title, it’s going to be me. All respect in the world to Francis Ngannou, but I’m not afraid of anyone.
“I’ll fight anybody on any planet. I love Francis, I think he’s a sweetheart person. I would love to do my trilogy with Stipe Miocic, but if Stipe won’t fight, they’re going to take his belt just like Henry [Cejudo] gave up his and they’re going to make a fight between Francis and I for the belt. It’s as simple as that.”


Heavyweight champ Miocic has said his duties working part-time as a first responder in Ohio during the Covid-19 pandemic are more important than fighting right now, despite UFC president Dana White saying the division needs to keep moving.
“We got to figure out this Stipe vs. Cormier thing, or figure out if we end up doing a fight with Francis,” White said at the UFC 249 post-event press conference. “We’ll get that figure out soon.”
Cormier said he would prefer the trilogy fight with Miocic, who won the belt back last August at UFC 241 with a fourth round TKO.
“I think that for everything we have meant to each other with me winning one and him winning one, that would be great for me,” Cormier said.
“But if he doesn’t want to fight, I want to fight my last fight. I want to fight whoever. And if it’s Francis Ngannou then I guess that’s who it’s going to be.”

Daniel Cormier's real-time reaction to Francis Ngannou's first-round KO...

Suddenly, 205lbs seems a lot more appealing #UFC249 pic.twitter.com/D8TCYdS1pU
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) May 10, 2020

One thing’s for sure – if Cormier does fight Ngannou, he won’t stand and trade like Rozenstruik tried to do in Jacksonville.
“It’s like a double-edged sword. If I go to fight Francis Ngannou, the smart way to fight him is to go take him down over and over,” Cormier said.
“I did that against Derrick Lewis and people gave me flack for it – ‘All he did was wrestle’. I’m not going to stand up with him. I’m not going to go and stand up with Francis Ngannou.”


“I’m telling you, I’m telling him,” he continued, “If you’re going to be upset about me taking him down over and over, that’s just what you’re going to have to deal with. I don’t want to get knocked out. That’s what’s going to happen if I stand there.
“If I stand there, he would knock me out. I would probably wrestle him the whole time until I would submit him.”

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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 09: Dominick Cruz (L) of the United States argues with UFC President Dana White (R) after being defeated by Henry Cejudo of the United States in their bantamweight title fight during UFC 249 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 09, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 09: Henry Cejudo (top) of the United States punches Dominick Cruz (bottom) of the United States on the ground in their bantamweight title fight during UFC 249 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 09, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

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Francis Ngannou swings a punch against Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249. Photo: AFP

May 9, 2020; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jairzinho Rozenstruik (blue gloves) reacts after being knocked out by Francis Ngannou (red gloves) during UFC 249 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

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Mixed Martial Arts


‘If Stipe won’t fight, they’re going to make a fight between Francis and I for the belt. It’s as simple as that,’ says Cormier
‘DC’ vows he won’t trade with ‘The Predator’, though – ‘if I stand there, he would knock me out … I would wrestle him the whole time’



Daniel Cormier says that if Stipe Miocic won’t fight, the UFC needs to match him up with Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight title – ‘it’s a simple as that’.


Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)