Dana White doesn’t believe UFC 252 will represent Daniel Cormier’s final fight.
Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) has said countless times leading up to Saturday’s heavyweight title trilogy with Stipe Miocic that he’s putting an end to his illustrious career, win or lose.
He was emphatic on the topic of hanging up the gloves at Thursday’s UFC 252 pre-fight news conference, but it didn’t convince the UFC president.
“No, it’s not (Cormier’s final fight),” White told ESPN afterward. “No, it’s not. It’s obviously going to depend on how the fight plays out on Saturday night. If Cormier wins in spectacular fashion, this will not be his last fight. And knowing him the way that I do, if he loses, then it will be, ‘I can’t go out like this.’
“You know me: When people start talk about retiring, I think they should. Stipe, who people were saying is probably going to retire after this, too, but he squashed that tonight, I don’t think either one of them should retire. They’re two of the best in the world, and they still have a lot left in them. But we’ll see. We’ll see how the fight goes on Saturday.”
There’s no obvious fight for Cormier if he falls short against Miocic. If he wins, though, it will open the door to potentially one of the biggest fights in MMA history – a third showdown with Jon Jones at heavyweight.
Cormier vs. Jones 3 with the heavyweight belt on the line could represent an irresistible payday for DC, but White said he hasn’t thought that far ahead.
“There is no plan,” White said. “I’m going to watch the fight on Saturday, I’m going to see who wins, and then on Tuesday there will be a matchmaker meeting, and we’ll go in and start talking about what’s next.”
UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Dana White isn't sold on Daniel Cormier's UFC 252 retirement plan