UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has no bad feelings towards Brock Lesnar, and even respects his business acumen.
Cormier defends his heavyweight title this Saturday when he takes on former champion Stipe Miocic in a rematch at UFC 241. When “DC” won the title against Miocic back at UFC 226 last year, he was later confronted by Lesnar in a moment that went viral and set the wheels in motion for them to face each other next in 2019.
In the end, it never happened, as Lesnar would retire from mixed martial arts again and sign a new WWE deal. It’s not the first time the 42-year-old has pulled this off either.
Back in 2015, there were rumors of him leaving the WWE to return to the UFC, only for Lesnar to eventually bag another lucrative contract from Vince McMahon.
So, did Cormier feel used by Lesnar?
“Not necessarily, because I think his intention was to fight,” Cormier told Kevin Iole in a recent interview. “But ultimately, he will not hurt himself to just do something. It’s ultimately always going to favor Brock. Which is great as a businessman.
“I respect Brock so much, for his approach to business, for his approach to the UFC, WWE, the way he plays them against each other. Not many guys have that option, that ability, and Brock does and I think he does it as well as anyone.
“[So] no, I think I got that great moment. That’s something my kids will get to see forever, my grandkids… I got a Wrestlemania moment in the Octagon so I don’t fault him for it, I don’t get disappointed by it.”
While a Lesnar fight would have been the biggest payday Cormier would have ever seen, he seems to be very happy with his paycheck ahead of UFC 241 — so much so, that he claims he’ll be earning more from this one fight than rival Jon Jones will in the entire year.
UFC 241 airs exclusively on