Daniel Cormier wants ‘easy work’ against Michael Bisping, the middleweight champ responds
Last weekend during the post fight show following the UFC card in Japan, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier addressed his return to action and potential matchups with several opponents.
While names like Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir were at the top of the list, Cormier had some fun while poking at middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who was seated just a few feet away from him.
Cormier had a smile on his face the entire time as he was having fun taking a shot at Bisping when discussing his next opponent.
“Get my feet back under me, something kind of easy — give me Bisping. Give me Bisping!” Cormier shouted.
“I’m trying to do some easy work. Give me Bisping.”
Bisping had a laugh during the exchange as well but it seems the middleweight champion had a few days to reflect and now it appears he’s seriously considering the offer.
On his own podcast this week, Bisping responded to Cormier’s call out — whether in jest or not — and said that he might stick around past his upcoming fight against Georges St-Pierre to engage in a champion versus champion showdown.
“I was working with Daniel Cormier at the weekend and all he kept talking about all weekend was, ‘Mike, I want to fight you next. I want to fight you.’ On air, off air, at the hotel, constantly. He was like ‘Mike, I will break you within five minutes.’ Dude, are you crazy? Do you really believe that?” Bisping said.
“I don’t know if he’s joking or if he’s serious, but if he is serious, I’ll fight him next even though I said last week I’m gonna retire. I would fight Daniel Cormier because that would be a huge fight. DC is a great guy, he’s hilarious, hell of a fighter and he seems to be targeting a fight with me. So DC, if you’re serious, which I kind of think you are, then yeah, screw it, if only to annoy everyone in the world I will, again, fight somebody who doesn’t fight at middleweight.”
https://youtu.be/hrXqSrec1Bo
Of course Bisping isn’t a novice when it comes to competing at 205 pounds because that’s how he gained entry into the UFC by way of “The Ultimate Fighter”. Granted that was several years ago before Bisping made a new home at middleweight, but for the opportunity to face Cormier it might just entice him to pack on the pounds and venture back up to his old stomping grounds at light heavyweight.
Bisping had previously stated that his fight against St-Pierre at UFC 217 in November could be the final bout of his career, but now there’s at least one other option on the table that might intrigue him to stick around.
