CLEVELAND -- UFC light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has found plenty of success in mixed martial arts with his wrestling prowess, but perhaps an underrated part of his game is his punching power, which he has put on display in many a ground-and-pound scenarios.
Despite moving up in weight to challenge Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight championship, Cormier is more confident in his stand-up striking game heading into the main-event bout of UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight.
“I feel much stronger,” Cormier said. “When I was fighting up at heavyweight, when I punched people, it had an effect on them. Lately, I haven’t had that at 205, and I question whether or not the guys down there just have better chins or if the extra weight was making me stronger.
“Now, I’m doing much more in practice. I’m dropping guys with my punches. I’ve knocked some guys out in practice in the training room, so I can see the effect that my hands and my legs are having on the guys when I make contact now.”
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Prior to and following UFC 220, Cormier repeatedly denied wanting to move up to heavyweight in the UFC. However, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Cormier is going up a class to heavyweight after previous competing in the division in other organizations.
Cormier enters the super-fight with a 20-1-0 record with one no-contest in nine years as a mixed martial artist, and he comes into the bout not having to cut weight, which has been a struggle in recent times.
“Not having to cut any weight is very pleasant,” Cormier said. “I question how I put so much energy into training camp when I was so depleted when it comes to my nutrition. It’s what I do because 205 is the class I fight at.
“Boston was rough. It was cold. It was cold in the gym, so it was hard to break a sweat, but I made it and I won the fight. It’s good to not have to make weight. That’s just one less thing to worry about. I’m just excited about getting to this fight.”
By not having to cut weight and having more than five months to prepare for the heavyweight championship fight, Cormier was able to take his time in preparation.
“I didn’t go into training camp right away,” Cormier said. “While I was at The Ultimate Fighter, I worked out some, went to the UFC PI (Performance Institute) while I was in Vegas to do some strength and conditioning, but I took my time.
“I started camp at 12 weeks, like I normally would start. I just didn’t have to do nutrition. My nutritionist came at a month this time instead of seven weeks. That’s like the only difference. I still carry the same workload, just without as much stress on my body.”
