Daniel Cormier reacts after defeating Volkan Oezdemir by TKO at UFC 220
Daniel Cormier is the UFC Light Heavyweight champion.
Cormier boasts one of the greatest resumes in MMA history, and his next challenge is moving up a weight class to try and accomplish a first-time feat.
Night workout done! Pads with @akajav and then Strenght and conditioning with @camacho100. Thanks to the boy @kydriscoll for joining. Keep grinding young homie. You’re gonna be made man by the time this is all done. 2 1/2 weeks to double champ. DC #weareaka #doublechamp
Cormier fended off a scare after tripping immediately following his pre-fight press conference Thursday, but is ready to go heading into the weekend.
Here is what you need to know about Cormier:
Short Bio:
Cormier, 39, was a two-time junior college national champion at 197 pounds before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he became an All-American by reaching the finals before losing to Cael Sanderson; he went 53-10 at Oklahoma State with six of his losses to Sanderson.
He made the Olympics twice in 2004 and 2008, finishing in fourth place in 2004.
In 2003, Cormier’s daughter, Kaedyn, who was only a few months old, was killed in a car accident when an 18-wheeler hit a friend’s car.
On February 16, 2011, he and his then fiancée, Salina, had a son, Daniel Jr; on March 4, 2012, Cormier and his fiancée had a daughter, Marquita. In June 2017, Cormier married Salina.
Career Record:
(20-1, NC); Cormier fought Jon Jones for the second time at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California; the bout, originally a third-round (3:01) TKO loss for Cormier against Jones, was eventually overturned and ruled a “no contest” after Jones failed a post-fight USADA drug test for Turinabol.
Next Fight:
UFC Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (18-2) at UFC 226 on Saturday, July 7, from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Last Fight:
Defeated Volkan Oezdemir (15-2) via second-round (2:00) TKO to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 220 in Boston, MA.
Strengths:
Wrestling, Sharp jab, Dirty boxing in the clinch
Weaknesses:
Prone to ducking to avoid punches; Leaving himself vulnerable to uppercuts and head kicks
Highlights:
Greatest Accomplishment:
Winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and defeating Anthony Johnson to win the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Should Cormier defeat Miocic, he would become the first fighter in history to simultaneously hold both championships.
Net Worth:
Estimated around $4 million, based on his career earnings, as of January 2018
Current Odds:
+195 betting underdog, according to Oddsshark.com.