[ambient traffic noises]
[chatter]
>> Put your hands through.
We've gotta bleach the base color first
to remove the natural color
and make it as light as we can possibly get it
so that colors show.
>> Yeah, Dany's my hairstylist, massage therapist,
physical therapist, chef, nutritionist.
You name it, she does it.
I lucked out.
>> Water feels good?
>> Yeah.
My last fight was the first time we did it
and people [bleep] loved it.
Just loved it.
And now we're gonna keep going with-- going with it.
I like it.
Oh, that blue looks good.
You know, some people are creative musically.
For me, it's fighting.
I express myself that way.
And then the hair's just, you know,
I just wanted to do the Ecuadorian flag.
Then these girls are the ones creative
on how to make it happen, so.
This fight is a little different.
You know, DC vs Stipe Chilla D.
That's a legendary fight.
And then Chito and I in the co-main event.
The hair was a good-- a nice little extra layer
to everything.
Oh.
Yay, you're [bleep] awesome.
Good job.
Awesome.
>> Woman over PA: --safety and physical distancing policy
as required by the county and state.
A face cover such as a mask is required at all times--
>> Cormier: Fight week started, you know?
The whole week starts for me on a Sunday.
I like to get in early so we have that day
to just kinda relax and be in town, because on Monday morning,
you know, we go back to work as if we're still in San Jose.
>> Let's take a picture.
>> Cormier: You know, this fight camp is gonna look
very similar in terms of the people that travel with me.
Just the most important ones don't get to go.
You know, Daniel, Marquita, and Salina.
Salina's 7.5 months pregnant and it's just too risky
for her to be in an airport, to be out and about.
You know, it was tough saying bye to my family
and them not gonna be able to be there.
My son was asking what time I was gonna be at the hotel
because he wanted to FaceTime me and talk to me.
It's hard, you know, because they've been there.
>> Woman over PA: Instructions for operation.
>> Cormier: They're gonna be home
and they're gonna be watching and rooting and praying
that I can get the job done, and I know I will.
I'm ready.
[footsteps]
>> Hey!
Get the [bleep] outta my pool!
You guys paying the bill?
Yeah, this [bleep] ain't free.
There's the buoy.
>> Blow bubbles.
Blow bubbles.
I brought it for you.
You wanna go on it?
[chatter]
>> Meelah, ready?
Meelah, ready?
One, two...
>> Three! >> Three!
Oh!
I feel great.
You know, I think I train my butt off
for 10 weeks we had since we signed it.
>> Two, three, go! Come on!
Went by fast, actually,
but you know what I think it is too,
training at the house rejuvenated me a little bit.
Just, there was something different.
Oh!
Yay!
I spent more time with my daughter.
When I get my workouts, I get to see her
when I'm working out.
She's screaming, "Dada!"
You know, it's awesome.
Just puts a smile on my face.
She's crazy!
I'm excited for the fight because, you know,
you train so hard
and it's almost the fight's the easy part,
you know, because, like, you don't have to worry
about getting beat up or getting yelled at.
You just go out there and do your thing, you know.
Whoa!
It's on you, pretty much, whatever you trained.
You go out there and you have fun, man,
and that's what I do and just happy to end it,
you know, finally, the trilogy.
It's been a very, very long time.
Whoa! Are you-- now, you're just faking.
You're just faking.
>> Whee! >> Whee, yeah.
You know, it's all good.
He's an amazing fighter.
He's a great competitor.
Unfortunately his last fight's against me.
That sucks.
[Meelah giggling]
>> Cormier: It's kinda crazy coming here for this fight,
being like my last fight, and it's in such a weird time.
I've been here so many times to fight and it's just, like,
the most insane place in the world to fight, you know.
People everywhere and, like, fans everywhere.
Now it's just like, it's not gonna be that.
It's kinda crazy.
I remember the first time I ever fought in Las Vegas,
how excited I was, because I had never--
you know, we had just come from Strikeforce.
>> Cook: This fight's gonna be a little more like your very first fight.
>> It'll be more like that than anything I've ever done.
>> What was it called, Challenger?
>> It was the Strikeforce Challengers.
But no, it's like, it'll be like--
it'll be like fighting in the sparring room.
But it was, uh, I fought Patrick Cummins.
That was the first time I ever fought in Las Vegas.
I remember being all excited
because I was fighting at the Mandalay Bay.
I used to love those-- No, I used to love those fights
and those casinos.
They were great.
Obviously, T-Mobile is a phenomenal arena, but...
just the whole vibe of fighting at Mandalay and at MGM
was real cool.
[traffic]
>> O'Malley: I go through phases where I'll read a lot more.
I think those two years off, I was reading, like, everyday.
This describes how I feel in the cage.
"The soul happens only
when the artist disappears into the art.
He is no longer separate.
Some unknown force has done it through him.
He knows that he has been possessed.
That has been the experience
of all the really great artists down the ages."
I remember saying in my fights, sometimes it feels possessed.
I don't feel like it's necessarily me in there.
So, it's weird going back and rewatching it
because it's like watching it almost like for the first time.
Thank you.
>> You're welcome.
>> You're such a good boy.
You're so cute.
You know that.
Let's go throw a couple things in the suitcase.
Things I always take: my humidifier, and air filter,
couple video games, foam roller.
Usually I'll pack a couple sweet outfits
with some sweet shoes and stuff for media day.
But now it's all online.
Just doesn't get me as motivated to dress as sweet.
Still cool doing the virtual stuff, but not the same.
The fact that we can even fight is like,
we're so lucky we can go out there and make money
doing what we love at a time like this, so.
Can't really complain too much.
[zipper]
[grunt]
[traffic]
[radio playing]
>> Cormier: I'm gonna do, like, some sparring
and some pads with all these guys.
We'll go, like, three rounds of sparring
and then we're gonna do a lot of pads.
♪♪
Trilogies are very rare and to be involved in one is amazing.
I remember going to Houston with Cain for the JDS trilogy
and just thinking how special it was.
So, to be in that same situation, 7 years later,
is really amazing for me.
>> Stay relaxed, composed.
Give me angles at all times.
He won't be able to find you at all.
>> Cormier: I respect my opponent.
I think he's a phenomenal opponent.
I think he's good.
>> There it is!
Chop up with that hook when he goes back down.
>> Cormier: But I also believe that I'm better than him.
And I think that I win this trilogy fight
and I become the UFC heavyweight champion
for the second time.
>> Counter, there we go!
That's it!
>> Get away from the cage. You can't wait that much.
>> Cormier: It's a very comforting feeling knowing
that I've done the work and that I can get the job done.
>> Time!
>> Mendez: Think about that right hand more.
You're doing really nice, very nice.
♪♪
>> Camacho: A lot of teams, you know, you get a loss,
some people start to point fingers and wanna figure out
that this person didn't do their job right,
and this person didn't do their job right.
>> One, huh!
One! That's it.
But we've all figured out that we put our egos aside--
you know we put everything in check,
because we're all after a certain goal and, you know,
me, Rosendo, Bob, Jav, Leandro, and everybody else
who's been a part of what we've been doing for the last 8--
damned near 8 years.
That jab snappy.
There you go!
So, now, you know, we really get a chance to cherish
and wrap our heads and our hearts and our arms
around these moments because every time the bell goes ding,
it's closer to the last time that we're gonna do this.
And it's bittersweet, you know, every time,
because we're closing the chapter on that.
And, you know, hopefully we're gonna close it
with our hands raised
and some celebratory vibes after the fight.
Two, three, ha!
Two, three, body!
Beautiful.
[dramatic theme music]
♪♪