Cormier reveals WWE money ended his dream superfight with Brock Lesnar

Daniel Cormier has revealed that a bigger WWE payday — not a lack of interest from either fighter — was the reason his long-anticipated superfight with Brock Lesnar never happened after their charged post-fight confrontation at UFC 226 in 2018.

Speaking during a Q&A on his YouTube channel, Cormier recalled how the fight had seemed all but certain after he knocked out Stipe Miocic to claim the UFC heavyweight title. Lesnar, a former heavyweight champion himself, stormed the cage and shoved Cormier, setting up what appeared to be a blockbuster matchup between two of the sport’s biggest names.

“Man, I wanted that so bad,” Cormier said. He revealed that Lesnar had actually called him before the Miocic fight, promising a superfight if Cormier won. “He goes, ‘You knock him out, it’s going to be Christmas early for your family because we’re going to fight.’” Lesnar had even referenced his drawing power, noting that every time he fought, pay-per-view numbers exceeded one million buys.

Instead of the Lesnar bout, Cormier went on to defend his title against Derrick Lewis. Cormier holds no bitterness over how events unfolded, crediting Lesnar for making a sound financial decision. “It didn’t happen because the WWE gave him too much money, and he made the right choice,” Cormier said. “You talk about a man that money follows, it’s Brock Lesnar. He’s done really well for himself. I’m proud of him.”

Cormier also offered a candid insight into the physical reality of their brief in-cage exchange, admitting he was caught off guard by Lesnar’s raw strength. “He pushed me. He was strong. I tried to push him back, because I thought he pushed me soft, but he didn’t even move,” Cormier said. “It was crazy.”

The revelation adds context to one of MMA’s most tantalising what-ifs. Cormier, widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in UFC history, retired in 2020 following a trilogy loss to Miocic. Lesnar has not competed in MMA since a victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in 2016 — a result later overturned due to a doping violation.