Daniel Cormier will likely defend his UFC heavyweight championship against Brock Lesnar after a win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier on Saturday. The fight is not official just yet, but there was a massive callout and an in-octagon shove involved, and that usually means they’re going to fight.
After the co-main event between Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis fizzled, the camera cut to the former heavyweight champ and current WWE performer making his way to a seat at cageside, where he presumably watched the bout in front of him with great interest.
That bout saw Miocic and Cormier about evenly matched for most of the first round, but Cormier caught Miocic with a huge right hand coming out of the clinch. Miocic had his hands low, and Cormier caught him, winning the UFC heavyweight belt to go with his light heavyweight belt.
Cormier called Lesnar out in the post-fight interview, telling him to come into the ring. Lesnar gave Cormier a big shove.
“Push me now, you go to sleep later,” Cormier said to him. Lesnar got on the microphone and talked trash about the whole heavyweight division, and said that he is “coming for” Cormier.
Lesnar, last we heard, was still suspended by USADA for doping violations in his last return to the UFC. As he has not been an active fighter, he’s been out of the USADA testing pool, and would need to rejoin that pool before he can be cleared of his suspension.
Update: USADA confirmed that Lesnar has re-joined the testing pool as of July 3, and that he would be eligible to compete in the UFC starting on Jan. 8, provided there are no positive tests during that time.
“After receiving notice of his intent to compete in the UFC, USADA re-entered Brock Lesnar to the testing pool on July 3,” the USADA statement read. “With six months and four days remaining on his period of ineligibility, Lesnar will be able to compete on or after January 8, 2019, should he remain in compliance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.”
It was revealed when Lesnar retained his WWE title at Wrestlemania that he had signed a new deal with the promotion, but that there was room in that deal to compete in mixed martial arts in the future.
Dana White loves the publicity that Lesnar brings in, and the heavyweight division is thin enough to justify it, even if Lesnar, realistically, is completely undeserving of a heavyweight title shot.
Lesnar’s last three fights in the UFC include a loss to Cain Velasquez (in which he lost the title), Alistair Overeem and a win over journeyman Mark Hunt, which was overturned to a no contest when Lesnar tested positive for banned substances. He has a 5-3(1) record as a professional mixed martial artist. All but one of his fights came in the UFC.
With his win on Saturday, Cormier became only the second fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two weight classes simultaneously.