Cormier dares Jake Paul to agree to MMA fight: 'I'm going to hurt him'

Daniel Cormier is willing to fight Jake Paul if the bout takes place under mixed martial arts rules.

Cormier, a former UFC two-division champion who now serves as a color commentator, confronted Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, at Saturday's UFC 261 event in Jacksonville.

Two days later, Cormier dared Paul to fight him in an MMA contest, saying it wouldn't make sense for him to agree to a boxing match.

"Why would I go and box Jake Paul?" Cormier said on ESPN's "DC & Helwani" on Monday. "Who I am doesn't make me chase anything. I made my money as the heavyweight champion of the world. I don't have to chase a payday.

"This kid wants to fight? OK, I'll fight him. But it will be a mixed martial arts competition. If he wants to actually fight with me, fight me in mixed martial arts. I'll fight him all the way down at 205."

Cormier, 42, competed 26 times as a professional MMA fighter before retiring in 2020. Paul, who's 3-0 as a pro boxer and is coming off a knockout win over former UFC fighter Ben Askren earlier in April, has zero experience in the cage.

The beef between Cormier and Paul seemed to start after the Askren fight. Cormier said on Twitter that Paul and his team were eventually "going to get taught a lesson," and Paul responded by calling him "fat boy" and challenging him to a fight.

"I'm going to rip his face apart," Cormier said Monday. "I'm going to hurt the kid. And I will teach these kids not to continue to do this with people like me - athletes. ... I'm going to choke him, I'm going to elbow him, I'm going to hurt him. I will actually hurt him."

Cormier clarified he'd rather not fight Paul. However, he's willing to do so if the internet personality continues to disrespect him.

"My name will not be used as a springboard," Cormier said. "I love my legacy, and I will protect my legacy. And if protecting my legacy means I gotta smack this kid upside his head, that's what I have to do."