UFC legend imagines a duel with Poatan and claims he would make history in the current era: 'I would massacre everyone'

Poatan focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

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Daniel Cormier believes his MMA career could have been even more dominant if his peak had coincided with the current generation of UFC fighters. The former light heavyweight (up to 93kg) and heavyweight (up to 120,2kg) champion retired in 2020 after winning five title fights. In his view, today's competitive landscape, especially in the 93kg division, would be more favorable to his style, further enhancing his legacy within the organization.

In an appearance on a video published by influencer Alien Films, Cormier explained that he sees a clear lack of wrestlers among the top names in the light heavyweight division today. According to him, this absence would make the path more accessible for an athlete with his grappling base, allowing for dominant victories. DC also highlighted that, as champion, he would seek to face Alex Poatan because he is the biggest star in the division, combining sporting relevance and financial reward.

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“If I were at the peak of my career in the light heavyweight division right now, there wouldn’t be any wrestlers. I’d be massacring everyone. There are no wrestlers in the light heavyweight division. I’d probably fight Pereira because he’s the biggest star and you want to make as much money as possible as champion,” said Daniel Cormier .

To reinforce the contrast, the former champion recalled that, in his time, the top of the rankings was mostly composed of athletes with a strong wrestling background, such as Jon Jones , Ryan Bader , Phil Davis , and Rashad Evans.

" When I was wrestling, the top five were me, Jones, Ryan Bader , Phil Davis , Rashad Evans – there were a lot of wrestlers," concluded the former champion.

Current state of the UFC light heavyweight division

Besides champion Alex Poatan , the top 5 of the light heavyweight division is mostly made up of athletes who come from a striking background. Among them are Jiri Prochazka , Carlos Ulberg , Khalil Rountree , and Jan Blachowicz , all recognized for their stand-up game. The exception is Magomed Ankalaev , who has a grappling base and was a world champion in Combat Sambo. Even so, in MMA, a large part of his victories have also been built through striking.

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