Ahead of UFC 226 super fight, Daniel Cormier shares the biggest regret of his career

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has accomplished more in his 39 years than most of us could in several lifetimes. When he moves back up to the heavyweight division to challenge reigning king Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 on July 7, he stands to accomplish even more.

That, of course, doesn’t mean Cormier’s life is devoid of regret. The champ is human, after all, and if he could time-travel, there’s one particular thing he’d go back and do over. It is not, for those wondering, his “Cake and Chicken” video. 

“I didn’t think it was a mistake to make that video, but I do have some friends that think it was,” Cormier said in a beautifully candid interview with BloodyElbow’s Stephie Haynes. “My kids think it’s funny, and ultimately, that’s really what matters. I remember when I was making the video, my friend Sean was like, ‘Okay, I don’t like this.’ He just did not like it, but when he saw the finish, he didn’t think it was as bad as when we were making it, when he thought we were out of our minds. My kids like it, I mean they really enjoyed it, and that’s what counts.”

So what is his biggest regret? That thing those inside the MMA bubble have come to call “towel-gate.”

“Regrets… probably that whole Buffalo situation when I fought [Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson] the second time,” he said. “That’s probably my biggest regret—not being committed enough to my nutrition, not training as hard as I needed to, not having everything in order and putting myself in a situation where I will be judged for an action that can be perceived as cheating. That was probably my biggest regret, not covering all my bases.”

Do you think Daniel Cormier can conquer Stipe Miocic and capture UFC heavyweight gold at UFC 226 this July 7?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/27/2018.