Iole: Cormier as close to perfect as we have seen |
Yahoo Sports Kevin Iole argues that Daniel Cormier is as close to perfect as you will find in mixed martial arts.
It's math.
If you count the rounds he won in as winning rounds, after 28 rounds of MMA across 14 fights, one single judge has ever awarded even a single round to his opponent (it was the fifth round vs. Josh Barnett). His winning percentage is thus 98.8%.
However, Daniel Cormier has never been the best. As a teenager he did not win gold at the cadet world championships. As a college student he did not win Div I nationals. And as an adult he did not win worlds and he did not win an Olympic gold medal.
Cormier fights Dan Henderson on May 24 at UFC 173, live on PPV. It is believed that the winner may get a shot at the winner of Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, which will take place sometime this year.
If he won the UFC light heavyweight championship, a lifelong dream would be realized.
"Athletically, I can say I've finally won," he said of that imagined moment. "I didn't win the Olympics. I didn't win the world championships. I didn't win the NCAA tournament. I always have been one of the best guys, but I have never been the best guy.
"It will be great to be 35, 36 years old and to finally achieve what I strived so many times in my life to be: The absolute best at whatever it is I'm doing. I've always been close, but I've never been the best, and winning the UFC championship would be the completion of an athletic dream that started when I was fricking 8-9 years old."
If Cormier is as close to perfect as it gets, Dan Henderson's hand is as close to weapon of mass destruction as it gets. And first of course Cormier needs to beat Hendo.
"When you're preparing for a Dan Henderson, you know everything has to be in order," he said. "If it's all not in order, you're going to get beat up, simple as that. I've been thorough in my preparation and I've worked hard to cover all of my bases so I'm ready for everything that Dan brings."