Daniel Cormier Doesn’t Want Rumble To Retire

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier defeated Anthony Johnson for a second time at UFC 210.

The challenger did announce his retirement after the fight and Cormier hopes that he changes his mind down the road.

“It really does suck,” Cormier said after the event. “I don’t feel like he should walk away. I don’t know what he has going on personally. He said he has something outside of fighting that he needs to deal with. As a person that knows Anthony not only in the fight, but out of the fight, all you can do is try to support him. If he has something bigger to do then he has something bigger to do. It will hurt the weight class because he’s a fun guy to watch. People enjoy watching him fight. He’s always knocking people out. It sucks. But we all have journeys in life, and I guess Anthony’s journey is taking him left (as all) us are going right.”

This was the second time that Cormier defeated Johnson, as he defeated him to win the UFC Interim Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 187.

Even though Johnson did retire at the event, don’t expect Cormier to be following in his footsteps anytime soon.

“I love this stuff,” Cormier said. “I’ve made a lot of money, I’ve got security financially, and I’ve done everything I can do in this sport. The only thing I have not done is beat Jon Jones. Everything else I have done. I don’t have to do this anymore. I do this because I love it. I’m not going anywhere – not yet. I love it. I love fighting. I love the sport, I love the UFC.”

Johnson was just one of two fighters to retire that night, as longtime UFC fighter Patrick Cote also retired after his fight.