Jul 7, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Daniel Cormier (blue gloves) celebrates beating Stipe Miocic (red gloves) during UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Daniel Cormier nearly had epic fight with UFC legend but WWE came calling

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Zain Bando | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 12:50 PM ET

Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier is just over five years removed from his final MMA fight. If he were to do it over again, there is one fight in particular he wishes he could have back: a heavyweight blockbuster with former champion Brock Lesnar, who had stints in the WWE amid his heavyweight title reign between Nov. 2008-Oct. 2010.

Lesnar would then make a brief return at UFC 200 against Mark Hunt before a would-be win was overturned to a No Contest in the aftermath of their July 2016 fight.

After Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, Lesnar said some choice words to the new heavyweight champion in an epic viral scuffle that left fans asking what could've been.

Cormier Recalls Brief Rivalry With Brock Lesnar

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Reflecting on the moment in the present day in a wide-ranging interview with Shannon Sharpe on Sharpe's podcast "Club Shay Shay", Cormier broke down what led to the fight's failure to materialize. According to Cormier, the fight could have generated record numbers for all three parties: Lesnar, Cormier, and the UFC itself.

"The WWE got him," Cormier said. "The WWE took him back. That was my golden goose, man. We had that moment in the ring. I pushed him, he pushed me. WWE paid him back. They were paying Brock like $6 [million] to $7 million a year. Maybe $10 [million]."

It's no guarantee who would have won had Cormier had actually fought Lesnar. After all, Lesnar's sample size was much smaller compared to Cormier's, and Lesnar's layoff likely would have had a negative impact.

Cormier vs. Lesnar Was All But Done

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Nevertheless, Cormier was ready to fight him.

"You're telling me, 'Brock, you can go fight DC and lose, or you can come back [to WWE].' ... It was one of the safest fights I could've had. It's just the truth," Cormier said.

Cormier says he has reconnected with Lesnar in recent years. The result of Lesnar's post-MMA career, which spanned eight years (with a gap in-between) stunned Cormier upon an observation he made in the aftermath of Lesnar's title fight loss to Cormier's former teammate, Cain Velasquez.

"He took Cain down. Cain got up, started kneeing him in his face," Cormier said, recalling the finishing sequence. "I saw Brock recently, he still has that scar under his eye from when Cain kneed him in the face. Yup: Still got that big scar under his eye."

It's another fight the promotion missed out on making, but at least Cormier says he can look back on his career knowing he wasn't the one who let it slip away.