Daniel Cormier
Olympic wrestler who defended belts in two divisions
- Born
- March 20, 1979, Lafayette, Louisiana, US
- Nationality
United States- Height
- 180 cm (5′11″)
- Reach
- 184 cm (6′0″)
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Style
- Clinch-fighting wrestler
- Weight
- Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
- Active
- 2009–2020
- Status
- Retired · age 47
The record
Professional MMA. The no contest is his 2017 KO loss to Jon Jones, overturned after Jones failed a drug test. record
2007 world bronze in freestyle wrestling (96 kg); 4th at the 2004 Olympics
The story
aniel Cormier arrived in MMA as an elite freestyle wrestler: fourth at the 2004 Olympics, bronze at the 2007 world championships and an NCAA Division I finalist for Oklahoma State. He won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2012, moved down to light heavyweight in the UFC, and won that title in 2015 by choking out Anthony Johnson, then defended it three times. In 2018 he knocked out Stipe Miocic in the first round to become the second fighter to hold two UFC titles at once, and later the first to defend belts in two weight classes. His three defeats came against Jon Jones and in two of his three fights with Miocic. He retired in 2020 and entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- UFC light heavyweight champion (3 successful defenses)
- UFC heavyweight champion (1 successful defense)
- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion (2012)
- UFC Hall of Fame, Modern Wing (2022)
Defining fights
- 2012WINvs Josh Barnett (UD, won Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix)
- 2015LOSSvs Jon Jones (UD)
- 2015WINvs Anthony Johnson (rear-naked choke R3, won UFC light heavyweight title)
- 2018WINvs Stipe Miocic (KO R1, won UFC heavyweight title)
- 2019LOSSvs Stipe Miocic (TKO R4, lost heavyweight title)
Pressure forward, win head and arm position in the clinch, then choose between short punches and a takedown. Wrestling students can drill clinch control and trips, and MMA students can finish the chain with the rear-naked choke he used to win the light heavyweight title.
