Daniel Cormier, a former two-division UFC champion, believes one of his past teammates would have presented a significant challenge for him in the octagon.
Over a legendary career spanning 26 professional fights across two weight classes, Daniel Cormier was only defeated by two opponents: Jon Jones at light heavyweight and Stipe Miocic at heavyweight.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time, Cormier boasts six victories in UFC title bouts. In the light heavyweight division, `DC` faced formidable competitors, including Jon Jones (twice), Anderson Silva, Alexander Gustafsson, and the late, respected Anthony `Rumble` Johnson (twice).
Having retired from mixed martial arts nearly five years ago, Cormier recently shared an interesting perspective on how a potential fight against the well-known Chael Sonnen might have unfolded at 205 pounds.
Daniel Cormier: A Fight Against Chael Sonnen Would Have Been Difficult
Cormier and Sonnen, who previously trained together, recently served as opposing coaches on the latest season of `The Ultimate Fighter 33`. Sonnen is celebrated for his compelling trash-talking abilities, making him a significant draw for the UFC.
Sonnen notably challenged for UFC titles three times, competing in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, where he suffered losses to then-champions Anderson Silva (twice) and Jon Jones. A skilled wrestler, Sonnen concluded his run in the premier promotion with a 7-7 record, securing notable wins against former champions Michael Bisping and Mauricio Rua.
Traditionally, the coaches of `The Ultimate Fighter` compete against each other after the season finale. While this won`t be the case for the retired Cormier and Sonnen, the hypothetical question of who would have won a light heavyweight clash between them was posed.
“It would have been such a hard fight,” Cormier remarked about a hypothetical bout with Sonnen during an interview with New York Post Sports. He added, “Chael was really good, man…”
Cormier elaborated, “We’ve trained together, and Sonnen gave me some of the toughest training sessions I’ve ever had, even having trained with elite fighters like Luke Rockhold and Cain Velasquez throughout my career. They were difficult, demanding sessions.”
“I would have certainly had my hands full because his style was very similar to mine,” Cormier concluded.
Chael Sonnen Reflects on Training Sessions with Cormier
Cormier recalled that he and Sonnen, both former analysts for UFC on FOX, would train together at Jay Glazer’s gym after their broadcast duties were finished.
Sitting next to `DC` after hearing Cormier describe him as a tough potential opponent, Sonnen responded, “That’s a tremendous compliment from Daniel, and I will gladly accept it, but honestly, he’s being a very nice guy.”
Sonnen clarified his perspective on their sparring, stating, “In those training sessions, I never truly got the best of him.”
“However,” he added, “we worked incredibly hard. I was certainly able to push him. It was valuable time for both of us; we were both striving to improve. It`s also worth noting I was primarily competing at a different weight class [middleweight] at the time.”
“My ego is robust enough to handle the reality, but I sincerely appreciate how gracious he is when he says that,” Sonnen remarked regarding Cormier’s assessment of their potential matchup.
Gareth Pendleton