Cormier prepares for Strikeforce 40 fight with Barnett
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Daniel Cormier (9-0 career MMA record) talks with Dave Benz on Chronicle Live about his upcoming fight on Saturday at HP Pavilion.
Transcript
All he -- all talking a little MMA here on front a lot and we welcome and Daniel Cormier who is a big fight coming up on the strike force card coming up. On Friday night at HP pavilion against just Barnett. And now things -- Jorge your first time coming in here and I should say former Olympian and you saw Bellic rolling. Kind of brought back some Olympic memories for him. Yeah does man just the year just 2012. Just the year Nolan at the Olympics are getting ready to happen. It brings all these memories back makes me excited and and I'm just pumped up I can't wait. -- -- talk to fight obviously Saturday night straight force forty down at HP pavilion and take and I'm Josh Barnett this is finally going to be the heavyweight. Grand Prix championship this thing seems like it's taken forever to get to this point. Yeah you know it's taken some time it's gonna be completed in fifteen months. Which by a lot of -- standards it's kind of slow but what went -- all the injuries and everything else can expect to happen. But hasn't been that long but it's really been my fault you know I broke my hand in my last fight against big foot Silva. And in re broken in December so. It's really made this fight go along and I wanted to considering you haven't fought since last September I mean is that a disadvantage for you right now I'm not necessarily -- I don't really believe in ring rust or cage rust or anything like that so. I just had to train and be prepared -- -- him and be ready come Saturday night at all. As far as Josh -- obviously former UFC heavyweight champ he was the youngest one to do that back in 2002. -- you've only got nine fights under your belt he -- approaching forty fights and it is is that an -- of feather in his cap. Yes it is I mean any -- I'm -- now because I'm -- at such a high level is more -- in -- and experiences advance but. I can call on all my experience is on the rest of Matt. And at the Olympic level to actually carry me to a lot of positions. When I'm ready to fight so he will have the experience advantage but I don't think that will determine how to by simply out. Not only by your last fight Antonio Silva because not a lot of people expected you to to win that fight and you dominated and and you did but not. Went to wrestling skills so much what you did it with the gastric. Yeah you know I train and American kick boxing academy coming -- -- is called that for a reason you know we. We were very hard to stand up and and I've got some of the best training partners in the world so I'm going into the final -- I knew that I had some advantages I just do not know that I'm. I would have that big an advantage and stand up you know he was it was a lot slower and I was so they would get off -- -- continue to once -- England to fight so. People can write you off let on the working put in in the gym is what's gonna dictate what happens in the cage. And -- you said something to be during the break I mean I've brought up their experience of Barnett has put. You really can't discount the experience that you had being on the Olympic stage in the pressure that comes along with that. Yeah I mean you know people talk about pressure in on represent right now myself my management team might my -- When I -- in the Olympic Games the Olympics in my finals to be a gold medalist or in the Olympic bronze medal match to me that's pressure. I represent the whole United States of America so. I I've seen pressure I've dealt pressure and I was successful in pressuring -- fourth. So how will learn from these experiences and be ready come fight night to embrace it and actually live in the moment and not get my hand race. Then and now you had kidney failure in the 08 games must be something that frustrates you do this to this point in your -- look back and say. I made the Olympic team in no way that was a captain but adding -- the chance to compete. I'm very disappointed but -- you know that's a result of me make a lot of mistakes in the weight cut for very long time so I take full responsibility for it. Very sad about it you know missed an hour an opportunity do some stress off ranked in the top during the world of time so I had a really really realistic chance of being a gold medalist but. You know it did happen again these things I'd draw -- I won't make the same mistakes and anything else I do in life and it's really made me stronger person. I let's look ahead and gaze into a crystal crystal ball let's say for the sake of this conversation. This Saturday night works out the way he wanted to work out your victorious over Barnett. What is next for you because there aren't a lot of heavyweights on the strike force card that really people think could pose a challenge you at this point. I mean I think that the proof is in and then the strike force website you know you look at it and Josh and I -- the only two that weights listed -- We have a plus one fight I'm not sure would that would be I can only imagine is going to be a guy from the UFC. All the best ten weeks in the world are signed to -- but. And they will send somebody over fight me you know lie I just don't envision it being a guy and it's a free agent right now because. In reality it just aren't many heavyweights out there that can actually compete at the highest level of the sport that aren't signed. To the two biggest companies in the world is our level frustration kind of being locked in that strike force card. Not really you know I've I've I've started to strike force is shown a lot of commitment to me and helped me build to this point in my career so. I know that my time will come to actually get the USC. And fight at the highest highest level you know and in the biggest events but -- I'm I'm OK I -- okay why am now and if I can continue to be successful strike force. It is gonna put me in a better situation when I do get to -- -- well Daniel Cormier nine and I'll.

















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