All 22 of Cormier’s wins read like a list of MMA standouts. Bigfoot Silva, Josh Barnett, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, Dan Henderson, Rumble Johnson, Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva, Stipe Miocic, Derrick Lewis. Apologies for the list but for one reason or another, Cormier has made a career of fighting only household names, and with losses to only Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, he has secured his place as one of the greatest of all-time.
Cormier’s career achievements opened up drastically when he stepped down to light heavyweight out of courtesy to teammate Cain Velasquez.
The step down made weight cuts difficult but it opened up a world of competition that has made it impossible to argue against his credentials. Instead of staying at heavyweight and likely clearing out the division, the step down opened up the greatest fights and rivalries in MMA history.
When Daniel Cormier locked horns with Jon Jones it was one of the biggest spectacles the sport had ever seen. The two were polar opposites in nearly every way. Cormier showed up to press conferences in suits and ties, Jones sported athletic apparel. Jones was known for a striking game with high volume and spinning attacks, Cormier was a wrestler. Even the builds were completely different. The one thing that bound them together was their dislike for one another.
Both men had blemish-free records until they clashed for the first time at UFC 182. The two would become so heated, so fast, that every interview, every press conference, every face off became must see TV.
When they finally met, DC finally found his match but he still gave Jones one of the toughest dogfights he had ever seen.
Beyond Jones, Cormier has had a memorable pair of fights with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and a split series with Stipe Miocic, who he hopes to meet again in 2020.
