Cain Velasquez will be the first one to assist Daniel Cormier in his preparation for Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, but the former champion still has plans to return to the top of the heavyweight division.
On Friday, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced that Cormier, the reigning 205-pound champion, would challenge Miocic for the heavyweight belt in a super fight at UFC 226 on July 7. Cormier and Velasquez are longtime training partners at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. “DC” compiled a 13-0 record as a heavyweight but elected to move to light heavyweight, partially out of respect to Velasquez, who was at or near the top of the division when Cormier entered the UFC.