UFC Hall of Fame star Daniel Cormier has hit out at long-time frenemy Brock Lesnar, in reflection on their failed heavyweight title feud in the Octagon years ago.
Lesnar, a future WWE and UFC Hall of Famer, achieved Octagon gold during his tenure, the heavyweight crown, in just his fourth fight with the Dana White led-promotion. He would quit the UFC for WWE in 2012, owing to his troubles with diverticulitis.
Lesnar would return to defeat Mark Hunt in 2016 for the main event of UFC 2000. However, months later, the bout was overturned to an official ‘No Contest’, with Lesnar testing positive for the banned substance, clomiphene. He would return again in 2018 to face off with Cormier after the latter had just defeated Stipe Miocic to win the heavyweight title.
Entering the Octagon to face off with Cormier after UFC 226, Lesnar sent the Lafayette native across the canvas and announced his candidature. Unfortunately, the matchup simply failed to ever materialize. Almost 7 years later, Cormier has finally addressed how Lesnar’s absence from the octagon messed up his plans for the future.
“Brock (Lesnar) went back to the WWE,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel about their failed title fight. “He kinda screwed me a little bit”, DC noted speculating about how well a pairing between them with a title on the line could’ve sold.
“Bro, Brock Lesnar, myself, Amanda Nunes – UFC 200, 1.3 million pay-per-view buys,” He added, noting, “I know what that equated to me in my pocket. As a person who made pay-per-view points.”
Interestingly, Lesnar was linked to an octagon return as recently as last year.
Lesnar returned to USADA pool for Cormier clash
That same year, following their feisty face-off, Lesnar made a big leap toward an eventual comeback. Despite his past transgressions with USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency), the veteran returned to the testing pool that summer.
Furthermore, returning to Anaheim the following year, Cormier was much-rumored to finally defend his heavyweight crown in a grudge match against Lesnar. Ultimately, to no avail, to the disappointment of fans everywhere.
Even last year, rumors had circulated regarding a UFC 300 return for the former heavyweight champion. However, CEO Dana White immediately shut them down. As he did with a comeback for the inaugural bantamweight best, Ronda Rousey.
“I think Brock’s (Lesnar) done,” White said during an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I don’t think he ever comes back.”
Notably, even current heavyweight champion Jon Jones had issued a callout to Lesnar in the past. Ahead of UFC 214, Jones had claimed he would throw the South Dakota grappler around the Octagon for sport.
