UFC News: Daniel Cormier reveals earliest date for Stipe Miocic trilogy, discloses "tricky" situation

Daniel Cormier's final fight is expected to be a trilogy fight against UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic. Cormier revealed that it will be the last fight before drawing curtains on his career and it appears as though he wants to retire as the Heavyweight Champion of the world.

It will be the first time that a fighter faces the same opponent three times straight in a trilogy, but the fight won't be happening this quarter as the PPVs have already been finalised, with Conor McGregor headlining in January, Jon Jones in February, and Khabib Nurmagomedov in April.

Cormier told MMA Junkie that June is the earliest they can get on a card:

There’s no time for us to fight until maybe June. The way the UFC quarterly schedule is looking, the UFC essentially, with them announcing Tony (Ferguson) and Khabib (Nurmagomedov) for April, there’s really no time. We’re going to be waiting a little bit.”

Cormier explained why the situation is a bit trickier than people think. He also revealed that he's doing well after his back surgery:

“It’s tricky. I would like it to happen sooner than later, that’s all I would like to say. I feel like the more time I get away from last year’s back surgery, the better I feel, and I’m starting to really feel like myself now.

Cormier said that he's ready to go but has to wait for Miocic to give the green light.

“I’m ready to go, but he’s the champ. He’s the champ, he makes the rules. So I’m on standby and I’m waiting to see when this guy says that we’re going to fight. When he does, I’ll be prepared. I’ll be ready – even more prepared than the last time because I feel I can prepare better from the very start right now.”

Cormier also explained training with Boxing Heavyweight legend George Foreman, stating that the fight between Miocic and himself boils down to boxing. He also hailed their rivalry as "fantastic" because of the manner in which both men won their fights.

Cormier insisted that he's working on how to improve from the previous fight in which Miocic made a brilliant adjustment midway and utilized body shots to become only the second man to finish DC (the first on record since Jon Jones' KO doesn't count).