Daniel Cormier says he’ll cut down to 205 to fight Jake Paul in MMA: “I’m going to smash him and I’m going to hurt him”

Daniel Cormier is open to fighting Jake Paul but says it must happen in MMA.

After Paul knocked out Be Askren he called out Cormier and said he’d beat him up just like Stipe Miocic did. Cormier did not take kindly to those words and at UFC 261, “DC” approached Paul in the crowd to talk to him.

Now, after all the dust has settled, Cormier says he doesn’t like the way Paul is talking and would fight him, as long as the YouTuber makes it an MMA fight.

“I don’t want to fight Jake Paul. But I’m not gonna let Jake Paul disrespect me. Let me tell you one thing about Jake Paul and I’ll refer back to the Conor McGregor deal,” Cormier said on DC & Helwani. “Conor went to fight Floyd, made a ton of money, because he had to. Floyd Mayweather is the greatest boxer of all time, so you go play on his playing field. Why would I go and box Jake Paul? Who I am doesn’t make me chase anything. I made my money as the heavyweight champion of the world. I don’t have to chase a payday.

“This kid wants to fight, okay, I’ll fight him. But it will be a mixed martial arts competition. If he wants to actually fight with me, fight me in mixed martial arts and then I’ll fight him all the way down at 205. I’m living fat and happy and healthy, I’ll go all the way down to 205 to fight this kid in mixed martial arts,” Cormier continued. “If you really want to fight me, like seriously fight me, fight me in mixed martial arts. This is not going to be fun.

“I’m telling you right now, at 42-years-old, bad back and everything, I’m going to torture him and I’m going to hurt him,” Daniel Cormier added. “I don’t want to box him, I don’t want to fight in a limited skill set of rules. If you want to fight me, you really want to fight me, fight me in a mixed martial arts competition. I’ll go all the way back to 205 and I’m going to smash him and I’m going to hurt him and then he can go back to fighting these YouTube kids.

Image: UFC on Instagram

“But don’t think for a second that I would ever chase a payday in boxing because I don’t need it. I’m good. I made my money as the champion of the world,” Cormier concluded. “If you want to really fight me, you got an issue with me, fight me in mixed martial arts. I’m going to torture you and I’m going to rip his face apart and I’m gonna hurt the kid. I will teach these kids not to continue to do this with people like me, athletes.”

Although Daniel Cormier says he would fight Jake Paul, it’s highly unlikely the YouTuber would take the MMA fight. He is focused on boxing and continues to make a lot of money in doing so.

Cormier says he protects his legacy at all costs and would smack Jake Paul in order to protect it.

“My name will not be used as a springboard,” Cormier concluded. “I love my legacy and I will protect my legacy and if protecting my legacy means I gotta smack this kid upside his head, that’s what I have to do.”

Would you like to see Daniel Cormier and Jake Paul fight in MMA?