Daniel Cormier is apparently learning from his mistakes ahead of his rubber match against heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 252.
The former titleholder is scheduled to meet Miocic on Aug. 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which means they will be facing off in the 25-foot Octagon as opposed to the typical 30-foot cage.
"DC" said he will use this to his advantage, as he plans to take a wrestling-heavy approach - which is generally easier with less space for opponents to move around in - against Miocic. Cormier was criticized for not frequently trying to take Miocic down in last summer's rematch, which he ultimately lost via fourth-round TKO.
"I love fighting at the Apex," Cormier told ESPN's Ariel Helwani earlier this week. "That old leg (is) gonna be right in front of me to grab. I'll be like Curtis Blaydes.
"Hey, if you want to see a 25-minute stand-up fight, that's not what you're getting. I hope Stipe has his wrestling shoes, because with the small cage, single leg, single leg, single leg, single leg, wrestle. It is what it is. Sorry."
Cormier referenced top heavyweight contender Blaydes, who dominated Alexander Volkov with takedowns in the UFC Fight Night main event this past weekend at the UFC Apex. Two days before the fight, Blaydes warned his Twitter followers not to tune in if they expected to see a stand-up war. UFC president Dana White was critical of Blaydes' performance at the postfight press conference.
Cormier, who plans to retire after the Miocic trilogy bout, is 1-1 against the current champ. The 41-year-old knocked him out in the opening round of their first meeting, which took place in July 2018.
