History of Daniel Cormier in Timeline
"Daniel Cormier is a highly decorated American athlete renowned for his achievements in mixed martial arts and wrestling. He is a former two-division champion in the UFC, holding titles in both the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions, a distinction held by only one other fighter. His wrestling accolades are equally impressive, boasting six US World or Olympic Team memberships, a World bronze medal, and numerous other championships. Before turning professional, Cormier excelled in collegiate wrestling, achieving national recognition as an NCAA Division I finalist."
March 20, 1979: Birth
Daniel Cormier was born in Lafayette, Louisiana on March 20, 1979.
1986: Tragedy Strikes the Cormier Family
On Thanksgiving Day in 1986, Daniel Cormier's father was shot and killed by the father of his second wife.
1995: Wrestling Success in High School
Daniel Cormier won a bronze medal in the World Championships in Greco-Roman Wrestling Cadet (15–16 years old) division in 1995.
1998: Junior College National Champion
Daniel Cormier became a two-time junior college national champion at 197 pounds while attending Colby Community College, with his first win happening in 1998.
1999: Second Junior College National Championship
Daniel Cormier secured his second junior college national championship win at 197 pounds in 1999.
2000: NCAA Tournament Debut
Daniel Cormier competed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in 2000, entering as the No. 3 seed at 184 pounds.
2001: NCAA National Finalist
Daniel Cormier became an All-American and reached the national finals of the 184-pound weight class in 2001, where he lost to Cael Sanderson.
June 14, 2003: Tragic Loss of Daughter
On June 14, 2003, Cormier experienced a tragic loss when his daughter, from a previous relationship, died in a car accident.
2003: Top Five at World Championships
Daniel Cormier achieved a top-five finish at the Wrestling World Championships in 2003.
2003: US National Champion
Daniel Cormier began his reign as the senior US national champion in freestyle wrestling, a title he held from 2003 to 2008.
2003: Pan American Games Gold Medal
Daniel Cormier won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2003.
2004: Olympic Debut
Daniel Cormier made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Athens Games, finishing fourth after losing to Khadzhimurat Gatsalov in the semi-finals.
2004: Real Pro Wrestling Champion
Daniel Cormier was crowned champion in the 211 lb weight class during the first and only season of the Real Pro Wrestling league in 2004.
2005: Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin Champion
Daniel Cormier won a gold medal at the prestigious Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in 2005.
2007: Bronze Medal at World Championships
Daniel Cormier secured a bronze medal at the Wrestling World Championships in 2007.
2007: World Championships Bronze Medal
Daniel Cormier won a bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships in 2007.
2008: Transition to MMA
After the 2008 Olympics, Daniel Cormier decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, beginning his training at the American Kickboxing Academy.
2008: Olympic Team Captain
Daniel Cormier was named team captain for the 2008 US Olympic wrestling team but had to withdraw due to kidney failure caused by excessive weight cutting.
September 2009: Professional MMA Debut
Daniel Cormier made his professional debut in mixed martial arts in September 2009.
March 26, 2010: Victory over John Devine
Daniel Cormier defeated John Devine by knockout at the Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs. Mahe event in Fresno, California on March 26, 2010.
July 31, 2010: XMMA Heavyweight Champion
Daniel Cormier defeated Lucas Browne to win the XMMA Heavyweight Championship in Australia on July 31, 2010.
August 21, 2010: Submission Victory over Jason Riley
Daniel Cormier continued his winning streak, defeating Jason Riley by submission (punches) at the Strikeforce: Houston event on August 21, 2010.
January 7, 2011: Unanimous Decision Victory
Daniel Cormier won his fight against Devin Cole via unanimous decision at the Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine event in Nashville, Tennessee on January 7, 2011, marking the first time a fight of his had gone the distance.
February 16, 2011: Birth of Son
Daniel Cormier's son, Daniel Jr., was born on February 16, 2011.
September 10, 2011: Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Upset
Daniel Cormier, as a late replacement for Alistair Overeem, faced Antônio Silva at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov on September 10, 2011, winning the fight via KO in the first round in a stunning upset.
March 4, 2012: Birth of Daughter
Cormier and his fiancée welcomed a daughter on March 4, 2012.
May 19, 2012: Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion
Daniel Cormier became the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion on May 19, 2012, after defeating Josh Barnett by unanimous decision in a five-round fight at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier.
November 3, 2012: Scheduled Bout Canceled
Daniel Cormier's scheduled fight against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir at Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir on November 3, 2012, was canceled due to an injury sustained by Mir.
January 12, 2013: TKO Victory over Dion Staring
Daniel Cormier won his fight against Dion Staring via TKO in the second round at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine on January 12, 2013.
April 20, 2013: UFC Debut
Daniel Cormier made his UFC debut on April 20, 2013, against Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
October 19, 2013: UFC 166 Victory
Daniel Cormier fought Roy Nelson at UFC 166 on October 19, 2013, winning by unanimous decision. Cormier weighed in significantly lighter for this bout, signaling his intention to move to the light heavyweight division.
February 22, 2014: Light Heavyweight Debut
On February 22, 2014, Cormier was scheduled to face Rashad Evans at UFC 170 in his light heavyweight debut. Due to Evans's injury, he instead fought Patrick Cummins, winning by TKO in the first round.
May 24, 2014: Victory over Dan Henderson
Cormier fought Dan Henderson on May 24, 2014 at UFC 173, winning by technical submission in the third round.
July 5, 2014: UFC 175 Cancellation
Daniel Cormier was briefly scheduled to fight Rafael Cavalcante at UFC 175 on July 5, 2014, but the bout was canceled.
September 27, 2014: UFC 178 Cancellation
Daniel Cormier was scheduled to fight Jon Jones at UFC 178 on September 27, 2014, after Alexander Gustafsson withdrew. However, Jones pulled out due to injury.
2014: Film Debut
Daniel Cormier made his film debut, playing himself in the comedy "Mantervention", in 2014.
February 2015: "All About That Cake" Release
In February 2015, Daniel Cormier starred in a parody music video titled "All About That Cake" to promote the 2015 World MMA Awards.
April 28, 2015: Jon Jones Stripped of Title
Jon Jones was stripped of the light heavyweight championship on April 28, 2015, following a hit-and-run incident.
May 23, 2015: Light Heavyweight Championship Victory
Cormier won the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on May 23, 2015, by defeating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187. This marked the first time the championship had changed hands since 2011.
June 6, 2015: UFC Fight Night 68 Withdrawal
Cormier was set to fight Ryan Bader at UFC Fight Night 68 on June 6, 2015, but was pulled to fight for the vacant light heavyweight title.
October 3, 2015: UFC 192 Victory
Daniel Cormier defeated Alexander Gustafsson by split decision at UFC 192 on October 3, 2015. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night.
November 2015: New UFC Contract
In November 2015, Daniel Cormier signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC.
April 23, 2016: UFC 197 Withdrawal
Cormier was scheduled for a rematch against Jon Jones at UFC 197 on April 23, 2016, but withdrew due to a foot injury.
July 9, 2016: UFC 200 Cancellation & Victory
The rematch with Jon Jones, rescheduled for July 9, 2016 at UFC 200, was canceled due to Jones's potential doping violation. Cormier instead fought and defeated Anderson Silva by unanimous decision.
October 1, 2016: Commentary Debut
Daniel Cormier made his first appearance as a color commentator for the UFC on October 1, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 96.
November 25, 2016: Injury and Fight Postponement
Daniel Cormier withdrew from his scheduled rematch with Anthony Johnson on November 25, 2016, due to an injury, leading to the fight's postponement.
December 10, 2016: UFC 206 Withdrawal
Cormier was scheduled to fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 206 on December 10, 2016, but withdrew due to an injury.
April 8, 2017: UFC 210 Victory
Cormier defeated Anthony Johnson at UFC 210 on April 8, 2017, by submission in the second round, after a controversial weigh-in where Cormier initially missed weight.
June 2017: Marriage
Daniel Cormier married his fiancée, Salina Deleon, in June 2017.
July 29, 2017: Loss to Jon Jones
On July 29, 2017, at UFC 214, Cormier lost to Jon Jones by knockout in the third round, losing the light heavyweight championship.
January 2018: Sneaker Shopping Appearance
Daniel Cormier made an appearance on an episode of the YouTube series "Sneaker Shopping" by Complex in January 2018.
January 20, 2018: UFC 220 Victory
Cormier defeated Volkan Oezdemir by TKO in the second round at UFC 220 on January 20, 2018. This victory earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.
July 7, 2018: Heavyweight Championship Victory
On July 7, 2018, Cormier became the UFC Heavyweight Champion by knocking out Stipe Miocic in the first round at UFC 226. This win made him the second fighter in UFC history to hold two championships simultaneously.
2018: The Ultimate Fighter Coach
Daniel Cormier served as a coach against Stipe Miocic on season 27 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2018.
2018: Head Wrestling Coach
Daniel Cormier took on the role of head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School in the summer of 2018.
February 2019: "The Science of Mortal Kombat" Appearance
Cormier was featured in the February 2019 episode "Sub-Zero's Head Shatter" on the YouTube series "The Science of Mortal Kombat" by Because Science.
August 17, 2019: Two-Division Champion Milestone
As of August 17, 2019, Daniel Cormier is recognized as one of four fighters to have held two UFC championships concurrently.
August 15, 2020: Retirement Fight
Daniel Cormier lost to Stipe Miocic by unanimous decision at UFC 252 on August 15, 2020. Following this fight, he announced his retirement from professional fighting.
August 2020: Full-Time Commentary Role
Following his retirement from fighting in August 2020, Cormier transitioned to a full-time role on the UFC commentary team.
April 21, 2021: LHSAA Hall of Fame Induction
Daniel Cormier was inducted into the LHSAA Hall of Fame on April 21, 2021, for his achievements in wrestling.
March 5, 2022: Absence from UFC 272
Daniel Cormier was absent from the commentary team for UFC 272 on March 5, 2022, due to his mother's funeral.
October 8, 2022: WWE Extreme Rules Appearance
Daniel Cormier served as the special guest referee for the Fight Pit match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle at WWE Extreme Rules 2022 on October 8, 2022.
