Daniel Cormier names the other fighters that he thinks belong in the GOAT debate with him

When Daniel Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic to capture the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 226, he became one of just two fighters to hold UFC titles in two divisions at once, as he already owned the UFC light heavyweight belt at the time. The other is Conor McGregor.

Perhaps more importantly than this historic feat, however, is the fact that the win over Miocic cemented Cormier as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history — in any weight class, in any promotion.

While some fans and pundits now consider Cormier the greatest fighter of all time, some feel that other fighters deserve that title.

In Cormier’s opinion, however, it should only come down to a few fighters: himself, Georges St-Pierre, and Demetrious Johnson. Fighters like Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, meanwhile, who are frequently mentioned in the GOAT debate, should no longer be in the running due to their recent failed drug tests.

“Demetrious [Johnson], Georges St-Pierre, these guys have none of these bad things tied to their names and these are the guys I should share the conversation with,” Cormier said on Slip n’ Dip Podcast this week (transcribed by Jim Edwards for MMANytt). “I’ve never had any negatives and I’ve never had to go in front of any commission and explain why my test came up messed up. That’s why I should be in the conversation because I’ve done things the correct way.

“I’ve been tested by USADA since 2001 and I’ve never once had anything come up. It’s really not that hard to not test positive. Whether it be tainted supplements or anything else. You just don’t cheat. Don’t cheat and you don’t fail the test. It’s really not that hard.”

Daniel Cormier’s next challenge is likely to pit him against former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, who recently came under fire for failing a USADA drug test. If Lesnar is going to compete, however, he’ll have to pass a battery of new drug tests. Suffice it to say that Cormier is crossing his fingers that Lesnar can keep it clean.

“He’s got to be tested for six straight months and trust me, they will test you,” Cormier said. “I’ve been tested 32 times USADA came on board, 32 times, so he’s going to get tested. If he’s clean for six months then obviously he’s not doing steroids so let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

Do you consider Daniel Cormier one of the best fighters ever? Who else do you think belongs in the debate?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/23/2018.