Cormier willing to face Gustafsson, OSP in wake of Oezdemir's arrest

The best-laid plans have a way of going awry, but luckily, Daniel Cormier has options.

With challenger-in-waiting Volkan Oezdemir now saddled with legal issues stemming from an alleged bar-room altercation in Florida, the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion said on the latest edition of the "Anik & Florian" podcast he'd be willing to run it back with Alexander Gustafsson or take on the streaking Ovince Saint Preux in his next title defense should Oezdemir face jail time.

"Of course, I’d fight any of these guys. It doesn’t matter," Cormier said. "(Oezdemir's) on the longest win streak in the division so he was getting the title shot but if this trouble is gonna keep him out of that opportunity, I’ll just go to the next guy.

"So, of course I'd fight Gustafsson and someone told me yesterday that Team Ovince Saint Preux was like, 'We want a title fight because we've got a good winning streak too.' Whoever is winning gets the title shot, that’s just the way it is. I don’t care who it is."

Between bitter rival Jon Jones and now Oezdemir, Cormier has seen a number of matchups either tarnished or fall through due to his adversaries' issues outside the Octagon. While he refrained from condemning Oezdemir as a guilty man, the champ did state a fighter of the Swiss native's stature should do his damnedest to stay out of any situation that could get in the way of a shot at UFC gold.

"It’s tough to be going through this type of thing, especially at this time when you’re on the cusp of your biggest moment in your career," Cormier said. "I don't know what happened. You’ve got to not be doing things that are wrong or put yourself in these situations where stuff can go sideways. You’ve got to try to stay out of those positions ...

"Maybe it was self-defense, but because of who he is then it's much worse because he has the ability to sleep dudes that are trying to hit him. You never know what’s happening but even just these run-ins, they’re really unneeded, especially when you’re a young guy as Volkan is and you're on the cusp of something so big for the first time in your career."

Cormier had been aiming to face Oezdemir early next year at UFC 220 in Boston. It remains to be seen whether the contender's legal troubles will keep him from making the date.

- With h/t to MMA Fighting