Daniel Cormier Calls Out UFC’s Frank Mir, Jon Jones After Final Strikeforce Victory

The American Kickboxing Academy standout called out the former UFC heavyweight champion following his lopsided victory against an overmatched Dion Staring at Strikeforce’s final show on Saturday night.

Competing in the evening’s co-main event, Cormier unleashed a torrent of violence on the Dutchman at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, afterward calling out Mir for a spring Octagon meeting at UFC on Fox 7.

“I signed my UFC contract,” Cormier told Showtime Sports. “April 20 on Fox, Frank Mir, let’s do it. It was supposed to happen, and we were supposed to fight in Oklahoma, so he owes it to me.

The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix winner was not done yet, however, as he went on to target UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who is scheduled to defend his belt at UFC 159 against former two-time middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen.

“I’m going to let Jon defend his belt on April 27, and then I’m going to kick his ass in the fall,” Cormier said.

Cormier was initially expected to face Mir this past November, but the onetime UFC king was forced to withdraw from the booking due to injury. The entire event was then canceled and rescheduled after a handful of main card competitors were also bitten by the injury bug, and Cormier was paired with Staring for his final Strikeforce appearance.

“I felt great. I was kind of concerned, because I felt sick all week,” said Cormier. “[I thought I was] going to get tired, but I didn’t. I was still going hard, on top of him, punching him, but he was just a really tough guy.”

Staring, a Golden Glory representative cornered by UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem, offered up little resistance beyond the bout’s opening moments, with Cormier connecting with solid shots standing before repeatedly taking the 34-year-old to the floor and punishing him with ground-and-pound.

At one point during the second round, Cormier appeared to consider snatching a wide-open armbar but ultimately reconsidered, maintaining his dominant position and pounding out his opponent for the routine technical knockout victory.

“I’m a guy who is mainly never going to give up position for a submission,” said Cormier. “That’s just kind of my style. I’m a wrestler. I could have had it, but I’m not too sure on that yet.”