Daniel Cormier shares confident prediction for potential fight with Francis Ngannou

Having dispatched UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in the headliner of the UFC’s Sunday night debut event on ESPN, Francis Ngannou now wants a shot at the UFC heavyweight title. As luck would have it, that title is currently owned by Daniel Cormier, a long-time friend and training partner of Velasquez.

“I think what should be next for me is the title shot,” Ngannou said at the post-fight press conference. “I think Cain is the one that the victory against him, after that you deserve a title shot.”

“I think [Cormier] should come to avenge his teammate,” he added. “I think that would be a good matchup. I’ll get that done as well.”

Speaking on ESPN after Ngannou vanquished Velasquez, Daniel Cormier addressed the possibility of a fight with Francis Ngannou.

“Every time you see something like that, the emotions tell you, you go get it back, you go make it right,” Cormier said.

“I would not fight Francis, I would beat him” the heavyweight champion added, though it was not captured in the video above.

While this exchange is bound to generate some interest in a potential fight between Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou, UFC President Dana White says he has other plans for the champion. He just won’t divulge what those plans are.

“Well yeah, Francis is there,” White told ESPN after the card wrapped up (via MMA Fighting). “Cormier’s hurt right now and we have another fight lined up for Cormier first so, we’ll see how this whole thing plays out.

“[Cormier] is not healthy yet so I would never announce a fight without it being done,” White added when pressed about Cormier’s next fight. “It makes no sense. I don’t even know when Cormier’s gonna be ready.”

Does a fight between Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou interest you?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 2/18/2019.