The former UFC light heavyweight champion believes he would find the current division less challenging.
Alex Pereira, the reigning 205-pound champion, kicked off his second title reign with a commanding knockout at UFC 320 last October. After losing the belt earlier this year, Pereira swiftly avenged his defeat by brutally knocking out Magomed Ankalaev. The Brazilian has secured six victories in eight title fights in MMA’s premier spotlight, with five wins in the light heavyweight class.
Despite Pereira’s dominance since moving up from middleweight, one of the greatest light heavyweights ever feels confident he could defeat him and the other top contenders with ease.
Daniel Cormier, before rising to heavyweight champion by knocking out Stipe Miocic, initially found great success at light heavyweight. He claimed the vacant title by submitting Anthony Johnson and defended it successfully against Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Ezdemir. In a recent Q&A with Alien Film, Cormier expressed that if he were in his prime now, he would easily repeat his championship success against today’s light heavyweight fighters.
“If I was in my prime now, I wouldn’t just be a wrestler,” Cormier said. “I’d treat everyone the same. There are almost no wrestlers currently in the light heavyweight division. I’d probably fight Pereira since he’s the biggest star and it makes sense money-wise.” He added that during his time, the top five fighters in the division were primarily wrestlers, but that’s no longer the case. This absence of elite wrestlers is why he’s considering a return to light heavyweight instead of staying at heavyweight.
Cormier also witnessed Pereira’s recent brutal win in person and praised his performance. However, the fight made Cormier rethink some MMA rules, specifically about 12-to-6 elbow strikes. “That was a brutal elbow from above,” he said. “Bang! Bang! Bang! That was pure anger.”
Fan Take: This insight from Cormier highlights a shifting dynamic in the UFC light heavyweight division where wrestling dominance is waning, potentially opening the door for more dynamic fighters like Pereira. It also underscores the ongoing debate about MMA rule safety, which could lead to changes in how the sport is regulated to protect fighters.
