LAS VEGAS — As he sat in his place Saturday at the UFC 182 postfight news conference, Daniel Cormier nearly lost control.
He was asked his feelings on one of the most disappointing moments of his professional career — his loss to bitter rival Jon Jones in the evening’s main event at the MGM Grand — and all the other heartbreaks came rushing forward.
Cormier has experienced everything from athletic letdowns in his career — he finished fourth in freestyle wrestling at the 2004 Olympics — to unimaginable personal anguish when he lost his infant daughter in an auto accident.
"I've had to rebuild myself a number of times like people can't even imagine," Cormier said in a cracking voice. ”And, this is no different. This is not going to ruin me.”
The fighter known as “DC” then paused to regain his composure and vowed to pick himself back off the mat yet again.
“One way or the other, I’m going to stand across the cage from [Jones] again,” Cormier said. “And I believe, just as I did tonight, I’ll take the fight to him again.”
That’s the type of attitude that has made Cormier one of the most respected and admired figures in the fight game. He’s long been a beloved figure in the wrestling community, which seemed to unanimously side with him in the run-up to the grudge match with Jones. Within MMA, he’s a popular figure not just for his fighting style, but he’s distinguished himself as a witty and astute television analyst.
At the moment, it may seem as though the best path forward for Cormier is to hang up the gloves and focus on his television career. The Louisiana native turns 36 in March. The reason he dropped down to light heavyweight, after starting his career 13-0 as a heavyweight, is because his training partner and close friend, Cain Velasquez, owns the 265-pound crown.
Jones has nearly cleaned out the light heavyweight division, with the victory over Cormier his eighth successful defense since winning the belt in 2011. His next opponent is expected to be the winner of the Jan. 24 bout in Sweden between Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson. Gustafsson is the favorite in that one, and if he comes through, it would set up a rematch with Jones. In their Sept. 2013 bout, Gustafsson pushed Jones like he’s never been pushed before Jones eked out a decision win.
If Jones wins the hypothetical rematch, then what? Most longtime champions get bored with endless rematches. Jones himself hinted he’d eventually like to move up and face Velasquez – “I’d fight Cain Velasquez in a heartbeat,” he said at the post-fight news conference."
Ultimately, if Cormier is going to make one more run in his elusive quest for a championship, it’s going to come down to getting back to the grind and letting the chips fall where they may. Former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, who is Cormier’s age, is the best example of the good that can happen when you worry about yourself and forget the rest: He’s received five title shots in the WEC and UFC since losing his belt, and UFC president Dana White even hinted that a sixth may be forthcoming.
Who knows what could happen if Cormier strings together a few more victories? If the injury-prone Velasquez was to either lose his title or be forced to relinquish it because of inactivity, heavyweight would become an option again. Maybe a future Jones opponent has to pull out of the fight, and DC is the best replacement option off the bench. Anyone who has followed this sport long enough knows how unpredictable it can be.
In the height of his disappointment, Cormier proved to be every bit the astute analyst fans have come to expect, even when he was his own subject.
“I thought the first round he did well and toward the end of the round I started gaining a little momentum," Cormier said. "I thought second round I won, third round I thought I started the round well and didn't finish it well. Fourth round I took it off, he won that round going away. Then the fifth round we didn't do much at all, we kind of hugged each other for five minutes.”
After months of heated buildup — the brawl in the lobby of the MGM Grand; the profane ESPN tirade when both sides thought they were off air; the injury postponement; and the fight-week sniping which went all the way up to Friday’s commission meeting with the fighters — Cormier’s best efforts weren’t enough. And he was man enough to admit it.
“I can’t say enough about his mentality inside that Octagon,” Cormier said. “I’ve shared that cage with some very, very strong men, some very big men – superheroes. But I can’t say enough about his grit and determination.”
Jones, for his part, didn’t return the favor.
“I know if he would have won, he would have been up here, talking all types of trash,” Jones said. “So I don’t feel sorry for him. This is combat.”
Jones may be the better fighter, but Cormier had the better demonstration of character in the fight’s aftermath. And that’s why you can count on his comeback.
Follow Dave Doyle on Twitter: @DaveDoyleMMA