Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is coming off a close shave over Alexander Gustafsson, and it seems he plans to take some time off.
Cormier reasons that he has fought seven fights in two years, so he is due to get some time off. He allegedly plans to spend more time with his family, although it wasn't specified how long he would be out in case he does.
Everyone, of course, knows that Cormier is eagerly awaiting the status of Jon Jones. Jones is still on indefinite suspension and the buzz around is that the UFC is closely monitoring the situation of Bones before moving forward.
Cormier is seeking payback for that January loss, but after Jones got involved in that hit-and-run incident, the former champion got occupied doing his share of the conditions set forth with that plea deal.
Taking time off could be a good thing, but some feel that he may be using it to give Jones time to fix up his mess and return to the UFC. If Cormier stays on and fight, he could likely end up fighting Ryan Bader first and then Jones, although it depends on a lot of variables.
Bader has belched out that he should be given a title shot after defeating Rashad Evans by unanimous decision at UFC 192. But as everyone knows, the UFC is leaning more on a Cormier vs. Jones showdown for obvious revenue-generating reasons.
Bader and Cormier are not the best of friends, and both have shown their hatred in the past. But a fight for the UFC light heavyweight title will, of course, be tied up with the money that the UFC can make, not to mention the people who would be coming to see it.
Under normal circumstances, Cormier asking for some time off is reasonable. But with Jones' reinstatement looming in the background, one cannot help but think that Cormier may be going on a break to make sure that he does fight Jones first instead of Bader.
