Daniel Cormier vs. Brock Lesnar Remains a Possibility, UFC President Says

Jon Jones proved in emphatic fashion that he is indeed back with a dominant win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232.

Of course, the return of “Bones” leads to speculation about a trilogy bout with longtime rival Daniel Cormier. That was a hot topic of conversation on Saturday night, but another bout remains on the table for “DC,” the reigning heavyweight king.

After Cormier defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 in July to become a two-division champion, Brock Lesnar entered to Octagon to confront the American Kickboxing Academy standout. That set the stage for a potentially lucrative showdown, one that Cormier targeted before his retirement in early 2019.

While all has been quiet on the Lesnar front recently, the matchup could still happen, according to UFC President Dana White. The ongoing issue remains Lesnar’s status with World Wrestling Entertainment, but the former heavyweight champion has re-entered the USADA drug testing pool.

“No, [Lesnar] is not out of the picture,” White said at the UFC 232 post-fight press conference. “Absolutely [he could still fight Cormier]. I think he’s already under contract with me. We were talking about it, and then he ended up signing a new deal with WWE.

“He’s in a very unique position because he can play this thing between UFC and WWE. And they get right down to the wire, and I think Vince [McMahon] throws so much money at him that he says, ‘All right, I’ll do [WWE] again.’ Because this is here no matter what. When he’s ready, he can come in here and fight and he’s gonna make a s—t ton of money here, too. So it makes sense. I’m assuming that’s what’s going on.”

Lesnar last made a brief comeback at UFC 200, where he outpointed Mark Hunt before the victory was overturned due to multiple failed drug tests. If Lesnar doesn’t end up coming back to the UFC for a third stint, White will be ready to move on to other possibilities.

“One of the things you guys know about me is, I don’t wait for anybody. I’m not f—-ing waiting around for anybody. I’m rolling with the business,” White said. “Guy doesn’t want to fight this year? It’s all good. It doesn’t matter who you are, how big you are, what your deal is. You don’t want to fight, do your thing. When you’re ready to fight, you come back and talk to me and we’ll figure something out.”