Undefeated UFC fighter Daniel Cormier left the heavyweight division to avoid fighting one friend of his but will now face another in his light heavyweight debut at UFC 170 Feb. 22. Cormier is teammates with UFC heavyweight Cain Velasquez so the two-time Olympic wrestler decided to drop down a weight class to 205 pounds after his last fight, a win over Roy Nelson.
However, the UFC offered up another buddy of Cormier for his first fight at his new weight - former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. Cormier talked about the news with MMA Fighting recently.
"It’s difficult," Cormier said. "[Rashad and I] talked a couple of days before when we were hearing that the fight was going to take place, and it was tough. We were like, ‘hey man we’re going to fight and put on a good show.’ But when you receive a bout agreement and you see a guy’s name on that bout sheet, it becomes a little different…then it’s real," Cormier said.
Evans is coming off of an impressive one round dismantling of broadcast partner Chael Sonnen at UFC 167 last month. Though it won't be easy, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter says he will try to hurt Evans, even if he won't enjoy it.
"I care about him a ton," he admitted.

"But now it’s time to get down to business and we got to go in that cage and I got to try and hurt him. I mean, I can’t go into the cage feeling like I don’t want to hurt my buddy. Because otherwise he’s going to hurt me, and beat me, and that will set me back and keep me from attaining my goals."
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