Daniel Cormier takes rightful spot in the UFC Hall of Fame
During the broadcast of UFC 274, the promotion announced that former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at international fight week this July. Cormier will join his longtime friend and training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov as an inductee.
Cormier became a prominent figure in the MMA world when he won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2012 as an alternate. It was in the tournament where he finished Anontio "Bigfoot" Silva by knockout and defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett. Wins against the likes of these men legitimized him as one of the most promising prospects in the sport.
Cormier would find his home in the UFC after Zuffa acquired Strikeforce. After competing in two Heavyweight fights in the Octagon, Cormier made his Light Heavyweight debut with his sights set on Jon Jones. The two went on to have one of the biggest box office rivalries in UFC history.
In July of 2018, Cormier joined an elite group of fighters as he became one of four UFC fighters to hold two Championship titles simultaneously, after defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.
Although Cormier retired from competition in 2020, he has remained involved in the sport as a play-byplay commentator and ESPN Analyst. When he's not training, commentating, working with ESPN or spending time with his family, you’ll find him teaching the next generation of Olympic Wrestlers at Gilroy High School.
Daniel embraced the grind as much as any fighter to ever step foot in the Octagon. You will never see him complain, you will never see him quit, you will only see him work.
Whether it be lessons in the gym, or dominance in the Octagon, Daniel Cormier is inspiring the future of combat sports and although he doesn’t qualify for the “Pioneer’s Wing”, he's helped pave the way for MMA to be where it is today.
