Daniel Cormier has opened up about one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights that never materialized, describing his potential bout with Brock Lesnar as his “golden goose” that slipped away when WWE secured Lesnar’s services.
Daniel Cormier vs. Brock Lesnar
The stage for this blockbuster matchup was set at UFC 226 in July 2018, when Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic to claim the UFC heavyweight championship. Moments after his victory, Lesnar stormed into the octagon and shoved Cormier, creating an electric moment that had fans convinced a fight was inevitable. The confrontation generated massive buzz, with both fighters trading heated exchanges that resembled professional wrestling promos.
“The WWE got him. They took him back. That was my golden goose. We had that moment in the octagon, I pushed him, he pushed me,” Cormier revealed during his recent appearance on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe. The former two-division champion explained that WWE offered Lesnar a lucrative contract worth between $6-7 million annually, potentially reaching $10 million, making it financially impractical for him to return to UFC.
Daniel Cormier says Brock Lesnar would have been the safest fight of his career 🥶😳
«The WWE got him. They took him back. That was my golden goose. It was one of the safest fights I could have had. It’s just the truth. I watch what Cain did to him. I saw Brock recently, and he… pic.twitter.com/Opiacb8NZd
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 21, 2025
From a strategic standpoint, Cormier expressed complete confidence he would have defeated Lesnar. “It was one of the safest fights I could have had. It’s just the truth,” Cormier stated. He drew comparisons to his American Kickboxing Academy teammate Cain Velasquez, who dominated Lesnar at UFC 121 in October 2010, stopping him in the first round with strikes that left a permanent scar under Lesnar’s left eye.
The Velasquez-Lesnar fight at UFC 121 remains a template for how Cormier believed his own encounter would unfold. Velasquez overwhelmed Lesnar with superior cardio, technique, and striking, opening a significant cut on Lesnar’s face with ground strikes. “I saw Brock recently, and he still has that scar under his eye from when Cain kneed him in the face,” Cormier noted.
Cormier’s game plan against Brock Lesnar would have centered on forcing him to work for takedowns while maintaining superior conditioning. “He would have to take me down to win the fight. I can wrestle. If he shoots on me, I’m going to make it so hard for him to get that takedown that by the time he gets it, he’s exhausted,” Cormier explained.
For Cormier, a fight with Lesnar would have generated significant mainstream attention beyond the typical MMA audience, potentially becoming one of the highest-grossing pay-per-view events in UFC history. Lesnar’s drawing power had been proven throughout his UFC career, including setting pay-per-view records with events like UFC 100, which generated 1.6 million buys.
UFC President Dana White later confirmed that the fight fell through simply because WWE offered Lesnar a better financial package than what UFC could provide. This decision aligned with Lesnar’s established pattern of prioritizing guaranteed money over the uncertainty of combat sports, where injuries or losses could significantly impact earning potential.
The timing of the potential fight coincided with Lesnar being tested multiple times by USADA throughout 2018, indicating serious discussions about his UFC return were taking place. However, when Lesnar eventually lost his WWE Universal Championship to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2018, instead of transitioning to UFC, he negotiated a new WWE contract that kept him in sports entertainment.
The window for this dream matchup has effectively closed. Cormier retired from active competition in 2020 following his trilogy with Stipe Miocic, while Lesnar remains under WWE contract despite not appearing on television throughout 2024. Current reports suggest Lesnar is the highest-paid wrestler in WWE at approximately $5 million annually, though legal issues related to the Vince McMahon scandal have complicated his status with the company.
