Daniel Cormier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Daniel Cormier |
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Cormier in 2017
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| Born | Daniel Ryan Cormier March 20, 1979 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Nickname(s) | DC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Gilroy, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Heavyweight (2009–2013, 2018–2020) Light Heavyweight (2014–2018) |
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| Reach | 72+1⁄2 in (184 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | San Jose, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | American Kickboxing Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trainer | Javier Mendez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Léo Vieira | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wrestling | Olympic freestyle wrestling NCAA Division I All-American |
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| Years active | 2002–2008 (freestyle wrestling) 2009–2020 (MMA) |
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| Mixed martial arts record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Colby Community College Oklahoma State University |
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| Notable school(s) | Northside High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Daniel "DC" Cormier (born March 20, 1979) is a famous American athlete. He was a professional mixed martial artist and a freestyle wrestler. Today, he works as a commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Daniel is special because he was one of the few fighters to hold two UFC titles at the same time. He was a champion in both the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. Many people think he is one of the best mixed martial artists ever!
Before his MMA career, Daniel was a top wrestler. He won medals in big wrestling events like the World Championships and the Pan American Games. He was also a two-time champion in college wrestling. Before joining the UFC, Cormier won championships in other fighting organizations. These included the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and the King of the Cage Heavyweight Championship.
Contents
Daniel Cormier's Early Life and Wrestling Journey
Daniel Cormier grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. He has an older brother, a sister, and a younger brother.
High School Wrestling Success
At Northside High, Daniel became a wrestling star. He won three state championships in Louisiana. After his freshman year, he lost only two matches. His high school wrestling record was amazing: 101 wins and only 9 losses. Eighty-nine of his wins were by pin! He was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler twice. In 1995, Daniel won a bronze medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Cadet World Championships. He was also a talented football player, but he chose to focus on wrestling.
College Wrestling Achievements
After high school, Daniel went to Colby Community College in Kansas. There, he won two national junior college championships. He had a perfect record of 61 wins and no losses, with 33 pins.
Later, Daniel transferred to Oklahoma State University. In 2000, he had a strong record of 26 wins and 5 losses. In 2001, he improved to 27 wins and 5 losses. He became an All-American and reached the national finals. His college record ended with 53 wins and 10 losses.
Olympic and International Wrestling Career
After college, Daniel became a very successful freestyle wrestler. He was the top U.S. national champion every year from 2003 to 2008. He represented the USA team at major world events. At the 2004 Olympics, he finished fourth. He was also chosen as captain for the 2008 Olympic wrestling team. However, he could not compete due to health issues related to making weight.
In years without the Olympics, Daniel still shined. He reached the top five at the Wrestling World Championships in 2003 and 2007. He won a bronze medal in 2007. Daniel also won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2003. A big achievement was winning a gold medal at the Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin in Russia in 2005. This tournament is known as one of the toughest in the world.
Daniel also competed in the Real Pro Wrestling league. He won a championship in 2004. In 2018, Daniel became the head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School. In 2021, he was honored by being inducted into the LHSAA Hall of Fame.
Daniel Cormier's Mixed Martial Arts Career
After the 2008 Olympics, Daniel decided to try Mixed martial arts. He trained at American Kickboxing Academy. There, he improved his striking and submission wrestling skills.
Early MMA Championships
Daniel started his professional fighting career in September 2009. He traveled to Australia and fought for Xtreme MMA. On July 31, 2010, he beat Lucas Browne to win the XMMA Heavyweight Championship. Just two weeks later, Daniel won his second MMA title. He defeated Tony Johnson to become the KOTC Heavyweight Champion.
Strikeforce Success
Daniel signed an eight-fight deal with the Strikeforce organization. He won his first fight there by TKO against Gary Frazier. He continued to win, defeating John Devine by KO and Jason Riley by submission.
In January 2011, Daniel faced Devin Cole. He won by unanimous decision. This was the first time one of his fights went the full distance. Daniel was supposed to fight Shane del Rosario in June 2011. However, his opponent had to withdraw after a car accident. Daniel instead fought Jeff Monson and won by decision. He used his striking skills to control the fight.
Daniel then entered the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. He faced Antônio Silva on short notice. In a surprising win, Daniel knocked out Silva in the first round. He later shared that he broke his hand during the fight.
He then faced Josh Barnett in the finals on May 19, 2012. Daniel won the five-round fight by unanimous decision. He became the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion. He broke his right hand again during this fight and needed surgery.
Daniel was set to fight Frank Mir in November 2012. But Mir had to pull out due to an injury. Daniel then fought Dion Staring in January 2013. He won by TKO in the second round.
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
First UFC Fights
Daniel made his UFC debut against Frank Mir on April 20, 2013. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Since his teammate, Cain Velasquez, was the UFC heavyweight champion, Daniel thought about moving to the light heavyweight division. Some people wondered if he could safely make the weight limit.
In his second UFC fight, Daniel faced Roy Nelson in October 2013. He won by unanimous decision. Before this fight, he said he would move to light heavyweight no matter the outcome. He weighed in much lighter for this fight.
Daniel was supposed to fight Rashad Evans in February 2014. But Evans got injured and was replaced by Patrick Cummins. Daniel won that fight by TKO in the first round. Daniel then fought Dan Henderson in May 2014. He dominated the fight with his wrestling. Daniel won by technical submission in the third round.
Rivalry with Jon Jones
Daniel was scheduled to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in September 2014. However, Jones had to pull out due to an injury. The fight finally happened at UFC 182. Daniel was defeated by Jon Jones in a unanimous decision. Both fighters received a Fight of the Night bonus for their exciting match.
Becoming Light Heavyweight Champion
Daniel was set to fight Ryan Bader in June 2015. But then, Jon Jones was stripped of his light heavyweight championship. Daniel was chosen to replace Jones and fight Anthony Johnson for the vacant title. In the first seconds of the fight, Johnson dropped Daniel with a punch. But Daniel recovered and won the next two rounds. He submitted Johnson in the third round to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion. This win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.
Daniel then defended his title against Alexander Gustafsson in October 2015. Daniel won a close fight by split decision. Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors. In November 2015, Daniel signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC.
A rematch with Jon Jones was planned for April 2016. But Daniel pulled out due to a foot injury. The rematch was rescheduled for July 2016. However, the fight was canceled again due to a potential issue with Jon Jones. Daniel instead fought former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Daniel won that fight by unanimous decision.
Another rematch with Anthony Johnson was planned for December 2016. Daniel withdrew due to injury again. The fight was rescheduled for April 2017. Daniel won the fight by submission in the second round.
Continuing as Light Heavyweight Champion
Daniel faced Volkan Oezdemir in January 2018. He defeated Oezdemir by TKO in the second round. This win earned him another Performance of the Night bonus.
Heavyweight Champion and Retirement
In 2018, Daniel coached on The Ultimate Fighter against Stipe Miocic. Later that year, Daniel fought Miocic for the UFC heavyweight championship. He won the fight by knockout in the first round! This made him the second fighter to hold two UFC titles at the same time. This fight also earned him a Performance of the Night award. After his victory, Brock Lesnar came into the octagon to accept a challenge from Daniel.
In October, the UFC announced Daniel would defend his heavyweight title against Derrick Lewis. Daniel defeated Lewis by submission in the second round. This made Daniel the first UFC fighter to win and defend both the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight belts. Daniel gave up his light heavyweight title the day before UFC 232. He wanted to focus only on defending the heavyweight title.
The fight with Brock Lesnar never happened. So, Daniel decided to fight Miocic again. The rematch took place in August 2019. Daniel lost the fight by TKO in the fourth round, ending his reign as heavyweight champion.
The third fight between Daniel and Miocic happened in August 2020. Daniel lost the fight by unanimous decision. After this fight, he announced his retirement from the sport.
Life After Fighting
On October 1, 2016, Daniel started working as a commentator for the UFC. He has been a regular part of the UFC commentary team since his retirement in August 2020.
As part of his work with ESPN, he has co-hosted podcasts. Daniel also co-hosts the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast with former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen. Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen are expected to be coaches for The Ultimate Fighter: Season 33.
Championships and Awards
Mixed Martial Arts Achievements
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Hall of Fame (Modern Wing, Class of 2022)
UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Successfully defended the title once
- UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Successfully defended the title three times
- Fight of the Night (Two times)
- Performance of the Night (Three times)
- First fighter to successfully defend titles in two different weight classes
- Second fighter to hold two UFC championships at the same time
- UFC.com Awards
- 2018: Fighter of the Year
- Strikeforce
- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion
- King of the Cage
- KOTC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Xtreme MMA
- XMMA Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- ESPN
- Fighter of the Year (2018)
- CombatPress.com
- 2018 Male Fighter of the Year
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2018 Male Fighter of the Year
- MMA Fighting
- 2018 Fighter of the Year
- Sherdog
- 2014 Beatdown of the Year
- MMADNA.nl
- 2018 Male Fighter of the Year
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year (2018)
- World MMA Awards
- 2018 Charles 'Mask' Lewis Fighter of the Year
- 2018 Analyst of the Year
- 2019 – July 2020 Analyst of the Year
- ESPY Award
- 2018 Best MMA Fighter
Freestyle Wrestling Achievements
- United World Wrestling (FILA)
- 2007 Wrestling World Championships Bronze Medalist
- 2007 Pan American Games Bronze Medalist
- 2005 Ivan Yarygin Memorial Tournament Senior Gold Medalist
- 2003 Pan American Games Gold Medalist
- 2002 Pan American Championships Gold Medalist
- USA Wrestling
- USA Senior National Champion (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- George Tragos Award (2019)
Greco-Roman Wrestling Achievements
- United World Wrestling (FILA)
- 1995 Cadet World Championships Bronze Medalist
Folkstyle Wrestling Achievements
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NCAA Division I 184 lb National Runner-up (2001)
- NCAA Division I All-American (2001)
- National Junior College Athletic Association
- NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (2009)
- NJCAA Collegiate National Champion (1998, 1999)
- Louisiana High School Athletic Association
- LHSAA Hall of Fame inductee
- LHSAA Division I High School State Champion (1995, 1996, 1997)
Daniel Cormier's Personal Life
Daniel Cormier has a son, Daniel Jr., born in 2011. Daniel Jr. trains in amateur wrestling. Daniel also has a daughter, born in 2012. In June 2017, Daniel married Salina Deleon.
Daniel is a big fan of the New Orleans Saints football team. He also enjoys professional wrestling. His family is Catholic.
Media Appearances
Daniel Cormier appeared in a movie in 2014 called Mantervention. He played himself in the film.
In 2015, Daniel was in a funny video called All About That Cake. It was a parody of the song All About That Bass. The video helped promote the 2015 World MMA Awards.
In 2018, he was featured on an episode of "Sneaker Shopping" on the YouTube channel Complex. In 2019, he appeared in "Sub-Zero's Head Shatter." This was an episode of the YouTube series "The Science of Mortal Kombat."
In October 2022, Daniel was a special guest referee. He officiated an MMA-inspired match. This was between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle at WWE Extreme Rules 2022.
Images for kids
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Cormier in 2017
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Cormier in 2015
See also
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
- List of UFC champions
