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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix victor Daniel Cormier will compete on the final event in Strikeforce history next month, but he's already set for the next stage of his career.
In an interview with MMAJunkie.com, Cormier revealed that he has signed a "shorter contract" with the UFC, and he hopes to make his debut against Frank Mir around April. He's got a bout with Dion Staring to focus on, but once he's past that bout he's expecting the Mir fight in his UFC debut.
"I could have said, 'I deserve to get a title shot right when I get there,' but it goes back to Dion Staring," he said. "After Dion, I don't it puts me in a position to ask for an immediate title shot."
Cormier also has plans away from the heavyweight division, as he expressed a desire to move up and down between heavyweight and the 205 lb. division.
"I want to try to leave my mark on the sport," he said. "I'm older, I started late, and imagine in this day and age a guy going up and down and being successful. That would make a mark, I think."
It will start in the heavyweight division, but he doesn't expect it to lead to a title fight there in his second fight. That's because he believes his teammate Cain Velasquez will recapture that UFC Heavyweight Title this Saturday at UFC 155.
"What's going to happen is Cain is going to win this weekend, I'm going to win in January ... and (Alistair) Overeem's going to fight Cain," he said.
Penick's Analysis: Cormier shouldn't have much of a problem defeating Staring next month; he is a prohibitive favorite for a reason into the fight. Then that bout with Mir, which should have happened in November, will serve as a good introduction to the UFC audience. If Velasquez does defeat dos Santos on Saturday, Cormier will be heading to light heavyweight sooner than later, and he'll set his sights on Jon Jones. If that's how it plays out, we'll get a chance to see if he can make that cut, and if he does, we'll see a fantastic title bout in that weight class as well.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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