Ex-UFC star says Brock Lesnar would’ve been his “safest fight”: “That was my golden goose”

Daniel Cormier has opened up once again about the blockbuster fight with Brock Lesnar that never came to fruition, calling the matchup his “safest fight” and the “golden goose” that slipped away.

The fight that never happened

The stage for a mega showdown was set in 2018 when Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic to claim the UFC heavyweight title, becoming a two-division champion. Moments later, Lesnar stormed into the octagon and shoved Cormier, igniting buzz for a potential heavyweight clash. Both men traded fiery pro-wrestling-style promos, leaving fans convinced that the fight was inevitable.

With Brock Lesnar’s star power as a former WWE champion and Daniel Cormier’s dominance in the cage, the bout had all the makings of a record-breaking pay-per-view. However, despite the hype, the fight never materialized.

WWE steps in to halt the plans

Cormier revealed during his recent appearance on Club Shay Shay that the negotiations were close, but Lesnar ultimately chose to re-sign with WWE. The guaranteed money and lighter schedule proved to be too tempting compared to the unpredictability of a UFC return.

“The WWE got him, the WWE took him back. That was my golden goose, man. We had that moment in the [octagon], I pushed him, he pushed me,” Cormier recalled. “[WWE] were paying Brock $6-7 million a year, maybe [$10 million].”

For Daniel Cormier, the financial windfall of fighting Brock Lesnar was undeniable. The bout would have drawn mainstream attention beyond the MMA world and significantly boosted his career earnings.

Why Cormier saw Brock Lesnar as an easy matchup

Beyond the payday, Cormier is confident that a fight with Lesnar would have been a favorable stylistic matchup for him. Drawing comparisons to his teammate Cain Velasquez, who dominated Lesnar at UFC 121, Cormier expressed belief that he would have controlled the bout.

“It was one of the safest fights I could have had,” Cormier said. “He would have to take me down to win the fight…I’m gonna make it so hard for him to get that takedown that by the time he gets it, he’s exhausted.”

Despite never stepping inside the cage together, the hypothetical clash between Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier remains one of the biggest “what ifs” in UFC history—a dream matchup that fans will always wonder about.