UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has made his future plans very clear. They include fighting Brock Lesnar, making a ton of money, and then retiring in time for his 40th birthday in March.

After that, who knows? Maybe he’ll end up calling pro wrestling or working as a full-time MMA broadcaster or else coaching youth wrestling at home in California. The one thing Cormier (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) doesn’t seem to want to do is keep hanging around as a pro fighter indefinitely.

It’s a good plan, a realistic plan. And there’s no way we’re going to make it easy for him to complete it, are we?

That’s the feeling you get listening to UFC President Dana White talk to TMZ about his plans for Cormier, who White said has “a couple more left in him,” despite the champ’s suggestions to the contrary.

“I’d obviously like to see (Jon) Jones and Cormier fight again at heavyweight,” White said. “But right now, Cormier’s team wants him to retire now. They want him to retire right now. I hope we can get three more fights out of him.”

It’s worth noting that Cormier, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA pound-for-pound rankings, has already fought three times just this year. That’s a pretty good pace for any fighter. It’s especially busy for a two-division champ in his late 30s.

But even at that rate, three more fights would clearly push him well past his self-imposed retirement deadline, not to mention putting him in a whole lot of harm’s way.

Plus, consider who he’d likely be fighting. There’s Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC). There’s his old rival Jon Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC). Then whoever else the UFC can dream up for him. And let’s not act like the outcomes of those fights couldn’t convince us that there are still more fights we need to see him in.

Meanwhile, here’s Cormier, the rare fighter who’s reasonable and honest enough with himself to know that it might be time to seek his fortune elsewhere. He’s got this nice little plan to get out while all his parts are still stuck on in the right places, and he’s positioned himself perfectly to make a lucrative and timely exit.

Apparently we’re going to make him walk through a gauntlet of temptation and last-ditch offers just to make it out the door.

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