| Daniel Cormier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Cormier in 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Daniel Ryan Cormier[1] (1979-03-20)March 20, 1979 (age 46) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | DC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Gilroy, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 251 lb (114 kg; 17 st 13 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Heavyweight (2009–2013, 2018–2020) Light Heavyweight (2014–2018) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 72+1⁄2[3] in (184 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | San Jose, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | American Kickboxing Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trainer | Javier Mendez[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Brown belt inBrazilian jiu-jitsu[2]underLéo Vieira[5] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wrestling | Olympicfreestyle wrestling[2] NCAADivision IAll-American[6] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2002–2008 (freestyle wrestling) 2009–2020 (MMA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Colby Community College Oklahoma State University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable school(s) | Northside High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | dccormier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Daniel Ryan Cormier (/ˈkɒrmɪeɪ/; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professionalmixed martial artist,freestyle wrestler, and currentcolor commentator for theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As a former UFCLight Heavyweight andHeavyweight Champion, Cormier is the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously and is the first fighter to have title defenses in two divisions. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
As an international wrestler, Cormier was a six-time USWorld orOlympic Team Member, aWorld bronze medalist, aWorld Cup runner-up, a 2003Pan American Games gold medalist (bronze in2007), and a two-timePan American champion. Infolkstyle wrestling, Cormier was an NCAA Division I national finalist (with loss to the eventualfour-time NCAA championCael Sanderson fromIowa State) and two-timeBig 12 Conference runner-up for theOklahoma State Cowboys. He was also a two-timeNJCAA champion.
Prior to competing in the UFC, Cormier was theStrikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion andKing of the Cage Heavyweight Champion.
Cormier was born and raised inLafayette, Louisiana.[7] Cormier is the son of Joseph and Audrey Cormier.[8] He has an older brother named Joseph, a sister named Felicia, and a younger brother named Ferral.[8] When Cormier was seven, his father was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day in 1986 by the father of his second wife.[8][9]
He attendedNorthside High School in Lafayette, where he won threeLouisiana state championships in wrestling. After ninth grade, Cormier only lost twice, both by injury default. His final high-school record was 101–9, with 89 victories coming by fall. He was twice voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the state tournament. In 1995, Cormier won a bronze medal in the World Championships inGreco-Roman Wrestling Cadet (15–16 years old) division. He was also an All-State football player in high school at the linebacker position and had a personal best time of 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.[10] Cormier was offered a scholarship to play football atLSU, but declined to continue pursuing wrestling.
After high school, he attendedColby Community College inKansas, where he was a two-time junior college national champion at 197 pounds, in 1998 and 1999. His record was 61–0, with 33 falls. After Colby, Cormier transferred toDivision IOklahoma State University. In 2000, Cormier went 26–5. He entered the national tournament as the No. 3 seed at 184 pounds but fell one match short of becoming anAll-American (the top eight in each weight class). In 2001, Cormier went 27–5. He became an All-American and reached the national finals of the 184-pound weight class, in which he lost toCael Sanderson 8–4. His final record was 53–10, with 27 falls. Six of Cormier's losses in college were to Cael Sanderson.[11]
After graduating from OSU with a degree in sociology, Cormier had a successful career infreestyle wrestling. He was the senior U.S. national champion every year from 2003 to 2008 and represented team USA at the world level for each of those years. He competed at 96 kg, or 211.6 lbs. At the2004 Olympics, he came fourth after losing toKhadzhimurat Gatsalov in the semi-finals.[12] Cormier was also a member of the2008 Olympic wrestling team for theUSA, where he was named team captain but pulled from competition due to kidney failure from excessive weight cutting.[13]
In the non-Olympic years, Cormier reached the top five at theWrestling World Championships in 2003 and 2007. He won a bronze medal at the 2007 competition. Cormier also won a gold medal at the quadrennialPan American Games in 2003. Another major accomplishment came in 2005, when Cormier became one of a select few Americans to win a gold medal at theGolden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin, held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, and considered by many the most challenging wrestling tournament in the world.[14]
Cormier also competed and represented the Oklahoma Slam team in the now-defunctReal Pro Wrestling league. He was crowned a champion in its first and only season in 2004, for the 211 lb weight class. While he competed in Real Pro Wrestling, he was teammates with fellowStrikeforce mixed martial arts competitorMuhammed Lawal, who also was a season 1 champion, in the 184 lb weight class.
Cormier became the head wrestling coach atGilroy High School in the summer of 2018.[15] In April 21, 2021, Cormier was inducted into theLHSAA Hall of Fame due to his sporting accomplishments.[16]
After the 2008 Olympics, Cormier decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. He trained withCain Velasquez,Jon Fitch, andJosh Koscheck atAmerican Kickboxing Academy.[17] It helped him improve as a striker and submission wrestler.
After making his professional debut in September 2009, Cormier traveled to Australia and fought for Xtreme MMA. He defeatedLucas Browne to win the XMMA Heavyweight Championship on July 31, 2010.[18] Two weeks later, Cormier won his second MMA title by winning the KOTC Heavyweight Championship fromTony Johnson.
Cormier signed an eight-fight deal with the Strikeforce organization and debuted at Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings,[19] defeating Gary Frazier by TKO.[20]
Cormier fought at the event Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs. Mahe on March 26, 2010, inFresno, California,[21] where he defeated John Devine by KO.[22]
Shortly thereafter, Cormier foughtStrikeforce: Houston event on August 21, 2010, defeating Jason Riley via submission (punches) at 1:02 into the fight.[23]
Cormier next foughtDevin Cole at the Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine event on January 7, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee.[24] He won via unanimous decision, the first time a fight of his had gone the distance.[25]
Cormier was scheduled to faceShane del Rosario atStrikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum on June 18, 2011, in Dallas, Texas,[26] but his opponent was involved in a car accident and withdrew from the bout. Cormier instead facedJeff Monson[27] and won via decision. Cormier used his striking to dominate Monson on the feet and did not allow for any takedowns, negating Monson's submission ability.[28]
Despite Cormier's reservations about competing in theStrikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix due to inexperience, height and reach disadvantage over the rest of the field, he nonetheless entered, and facedAntônio Silva on only five weeks' notice on September 10, 2011, atStrikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov, replacingAlistair Overeem.[29][30] In a shocking upset, he won the fight via KO (punches) in the first round, catching Silva with multiple hits to the jaw, causing him to collapse, and then finishing with two hammer blows to the face of the grounded Silva before the referee could stop the fight.[31] Cormier later revealed that he had broken his hand during the fight.[32]
He faced fellow finalistJosh Barnett on May 19, 2012, atStrikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier.[33] Cormier won the five-round fight by unanimous decision (49–46, 50–45, and 50–45) and became theStrikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion.[34] It was discovered that Cormier, once again, had broken his right hand during his bout with Barnett, and he underwent hand surgery.[35]
Cormier was scheduled to fight formerUFC Heavyweight ChampionFrank Mir on November 3, 2012, atStrikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir.[36] However, on September 19 it was revealed that Mir had been forced to pull out of the bout due to an injury.[37]
Cormier fought Dion Staring atStrikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine on January 12, 2013.[38] He won via TKO in the second round.[39]
Cormier made his promotional debut againstFrank Mir on April 20, 2013, atUFC on Fox 7.[40] He won the fight via unanimous decision. Due to Cain Velasquez, Cormier's teammate, being the UFC heavyweight champion, Cormier considered moving down to the UFC's light heavyweight division. Some writers expressed doubt in his ability to cut down to the 205 limit safely, citing the fact that Cormier had suffered kidney failure during his time as an Olympic wrestler when trying to make 211 lbs.[41] After failing to compete at the Olympics, he gained 40 lbs.[42]
In his second UFC fight, Cormier facedRoy Nelson on October 19, 2013, atUFC 166.[43] He won the fight via unanimous decision. Prior to the bout, he announced that, win or lose, he would be moving down to the light heavyweight division. Cormier weighed in for the bout more than 20 pounds lighter than previous contests, at 224 pounds.[44]
Cormier was expected to faceRashad Evans atUFC 170 on February 22, 2014, in his first fight at light heavyweight.[45] However, a leg injury knocked Evans off the card ten days before the event, and he was replaced by newcomerPatrick Cummins.[46] Cormier won the fight via TKO in the first round.[47]
Cormier was briefly linked to a bout withRafael Cavalcante on July 5, 2014, atUFC 175.[48] However, it was announced that Cormier would instead be fightingDan Henderson on May 24, 2014, atUFC 173.[49] After dominating the fight with his wrestling and top game, Cormier choked Henderson to sleep to win via technical submission in the third round.[50]
Daniel Cormier was chosen as spokesperson for his new Cage Fighter signature wrestling shoe when he competed in an exhibition wrestling match againstChris Pendleton during the UFC Fan Expo.[51]
Cormier was expected to faceUFC light heavyweight championJon Jones atUFC 178 on September 27, 2014, afterAlexander Gustafsson was forced to withdraw due to a torn meniscus.[52] However, on August 12, Jones, citing an injury, was forced to pull out of the bout. The fight eventually took place atUFC 182.[53] AtUFC 182 Cormier was defeated byJon Jones via unanimous decision.[54] Both fighters were awarded aFight of the Night bonus.[55]
Cormier was expected to faceRyan Bader on June 6, 2015, atUFC Fight Night 68.[56] However, on April 28, 2015, it was announced thatJon Jones had been stripped of the light heavyweight championship and suspended indefinitely after facing felony charges stemming from a traffic accident inAlbuquerque, New Mexico. Subsequently, Cormier was pulled from the Bader fight and replaced Jones againstAnthony Johnson on May 23, 2015, atUFC 187 for the vacant title.[57] In the opening seconds of the fight, Cormier was dropped by an overhand right by Johnson. Cormier won the next two rounds and submitted Johnson by rear-naked choke in the third round to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion. The last time the championship had changed hands was in 2011. The fight earned Cormier aPerformance of the Night bonus.[58][59]
Cormier facedAlexander Gustafsson on October 3, 2015, atUFC 192.[60] Cormier won the back-and-forth fight via split decision (47–48, 48–47, and 49–46).[61] Their performance earned both participantsFight of the Night honors.[62]
In November 2015, Cormier stated that he had signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC.[63]
A rematch withJon Jones was expected to take place on April 23, 2016, atUFC 197.[64] However, Cormier pulled out of the fight on April 1 citing a foot injury and was replaced byOvince Saint Preux.[65][66] The rematch with Jones was rescheduled for July 9, 2016, atUFC 200.[67] On July 6, it was announced that the fight between Jones and Cormier was off due to a potential doping violation from Jon Jones.[68] Cormier fought formerUFC Middleweight ChampionAnderson Silva in a 3-round non-title fight at the event. Cormier won the fight via unanimous decision.[69]
A rematch withAnthony Johnson was expected to take place on December 10, 2016, atUFC 206.[70] However, on November 25, 2016, Cormier withdrew from the bout due to injury.[71] The pairing was rescheduled again for April 8, 2017, atUFC 210.[72] At the weigh-in for the fight, Cormier was 1.2 pounds over the 205-pound limit for a light heavyweight championship fight: he was allowed a second weigh-in and came in at the 205 limit.[73] Cormier won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round.[74]
The rematch with Jon Jones took place on July 29, 2017, atUFC 214 at theHonda Center inAnaheim, California. Jones defeated Cormier, recapturing thelight heavyweight championship via knockout in the third round, after a head kick and a barrage of strikes on the ground.[75]
In the post-fight interview, a tearful and emotional Cormier showed disappointment of the defeat and said "I guess if he wins both fights there is no rivalry."[76] CommentatorJoe Rogan issued an apology on Twitter to Cormier after the fight for interviewing him when Cormier could not gather his thoughts due to the knockout he suffered in the fight.[77]
On August 22, it was announced that Jones had been flagged for a potential doping violation byUSADA stemming from his test sample that was collected after weigh-ins on July 28. He tested positive forOral Turinabol, ananabolic steroid. Jones was placed on a provisional suspension as a result of the positive drug test.[78] On September 13, USADA confirmed that the "B" sample of Jones' tested positive for Turinabol.[79] As a result, the CSAC officially changed the bout result to a no-contest and the light heavyweight championship was returned to Cormier.[80] On September 18, Cormier, in an interview with TMZ, said he was open to a third fight with Jon Jones after Jones's suspension was served.[81]
Cormier facedVolkan Oezdemir on January 20, 2018, atUFC 220. He defeated Oezdemir via TKO in the second round.[82] This win earned him thePerformance of the Night bonus.[83]
In 2018 Cormier coached oppositeStipe Miocic onseason 27 ofThe Ultimate Fighter.[84] Later that year, Cormier faced him for the UFC heavyweight championship on July 7, 2018, atUFC 226.[85] He won the fight via knockout in the first round, becoming the second fighter to hold two titles simultaneously in the UFC. As of August 17, 2019, Cormier is one of four fighters to have held two UFC championships simultaneously. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[86] Provoked by Cormier after his victory,Brock Lesnar emerged from the audience and came into the octagon to accept the challenge by the new champion.[87]
On October 9, the UFC announced that Cormier would be making the first defense of his heavyweight championship againstDerrick Lewis atUFC 230;[88] he defeated Lewis via rear-naked choke in the second round, becoming the first man to submit Lewis in MMA.[89] This made Cormier the first UFC fighter to win and defend both the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight belts,[90] and the first UFC fighter successfully to defend both belts. Cormier relinquished the light heavyweight title a day beforeUFC 232, with his focus solely on defending the heavyweight title, stating: "I'd rather walk away this way, than have the history books say I was stripped".[91]
Since the potential matchup with Brock Lesnar never materialised, with Lesnar instead opting to re-sign with the WWE, Cormier decided to fight Miocic again.[92] The rematch took place on August 17, 2019, atUFC 241, just over a year since their first fight.[93] Despite his early success, Cormier lost the fight by TKO in the fourth round, ending his reign as heavyweight champion.[94]
The trilogy bout between Cormier and Miocic took place on August 15, 2020, atUFC 252.[95] Cormier lost the fight by unanimous decision and announced his retirement from the sport.[96]
On October 1, 2016, Cormier made his first appearance in the UFCcolor commentary team atUFC Fight Night 96 in Portland, Oregon.[97][98] He has been part of the regular UFC commentary team since his sport retirement in August 2020.[99]
As part of his UFC duties on ESPN, he has co-hosted the podcastsDC & Helwani (withAriel Helwani).[100][101]
Daniel Cormier also co-hosts theGood Guy / Bad Guy podcast with former UFC fighterChael Sonnen on ESPN MMA.[102]
Cormier and formerUFC Light Heavyweight andUFC Middleweight title challengerChael Sonnen are expected to serve as coaches forThe Ultimate Fighter: Season 33.[103]
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UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
Cormier and a former girlfriend had one daughter who died in a car accident on June 14, 2003.[124][125] He was previously married to a woman named Robin.[8]
On February 16, 2011, he and his then-fiancée Salina Deleon had a son, Daniel Jr. Daniel Jr. trains in amateur wrestling at AKA, where Cormier is the assistant coach. On March 4, 2012, Cormier and his fiancée had a daughter. In June 2017, Cormier and Deleon were married.[126]
Cormier is a dedicated fan of theNew Orleans Saints andprofessional wrestling.[127][128]
On March 5, 2022, Cormier was absent from the commentary team forUFC 272 to attend his mother's funeral.[129] His family isCatholic.[130]
Cormier made his film debut in 2014, playing himself in the 2014 comedyMantervention.[131][132]
In February 2015, Cormier starred in the video clipAll About That Cake, a parody ofAll About That Bass, to promote the 2015World MMA Awards.[133]
In January 2018, he was featured on an episode of Sneaker Shopping on the YouTube channel Complex.[134]
In February 2019 he featured in "Sub-Zero's Head Shatter", the first episode of the YouTube series "The Science of Mortal Kombat" by Because Science.[135]
On October 8, 2022, Cormier was thespecial guest referee in the MMA inspiredFight Pit match betweenSeth Rollins andMatt Riddle atWWE Extreme Rules 2022.[136]
| 26 matches | 22 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 1 |
| By submission | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 7 | 2 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 22–3 (1) | Stipe Miocic | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 252 | August 15, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For theUFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Loss | 22–2 (1) | Stipe Miocic | TKO (punches) | UFC 241 | August 17, 2019 | 4 | 4:09 | Anaheim, California, United States | Lost theUFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 22–1 (1) | Derrick Lewis | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 230 | November 3, 2018 | 2 | 2:14 | New York City, New York, United States | Defended theUFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 21–1 (1) | Stipe Miocic | KO (punches) | UFC 226 | July 7, 2018 | 1 | 4:33 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won theUFC Heavyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 20–1 (1) | Volkan Oezdemir | TKO (punches) | UFC 220 | January 20, 2018 | 2 | 2:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Defended theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. Later vacated the title. |
| NC | 19–1 (1) | Jon Jones | NC (overturned by CSAC) | UFC 214 | July 29, 2017 | 3 | 3:01 | Anaheim, California, United States | Retained theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Originally a KO (head kick and punches) loss; overturned to a no contest by theCSAC after Jones tested positive for aturinabol metabolite. Cormier was subsequently reinstated as champion. |
| Win | 19–1 | Anthony Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 210 | April 8, 2017 | 2 | 3:37 | Buffalo, New York, United States | Defended theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 18–1 | Anderson Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 200 | July 9, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Non-title bout. |
| Win | 17–1 | Alexander Gustafsson | Decision (split) | UFC 192 | October 3, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | Defended theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 16–1 | Anthony Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 187 | May 23, 2015 | 3 | 2:39 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the vacantUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 15–1 | Jon Jones | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 182 | January 3, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For theUFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 15–0 | Dan Henderson | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 173 | May 24, 2014 | 3 | 3:53 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 14–0 | Patrick Cummins | TKO (punches) | UFC 170 | February 22, 2014 | 1 | 1:19 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Light Heavyweight debut. |
| Win | 13–0 | Roy Nelson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 166 | October 19, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 12–0 | Frank Mir | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 11–0 | Dion Staring | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine | January 12, 2013 | 2 | 4:02 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 10–0 | Josh Barnett | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier | May 19, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | Won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. |
| Win | 9–0 | Antônio Silva | KO (punches) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov | September 10, 2011 | 1 | 3:56 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Semi-Final. |
| Win | 8–0 | Jeff Monson | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum | June 18, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix reserve bout. |
| Win | 7–0 | Devin Cole | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine | January 7, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Soa Palelei | TKO (submission to punches) | XMMA 3 | November 5, 2010 | 1 | 2:23 | Sydney, Australia | Defended the XMMA Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Jason Riley | TKO (submission to punches) | Strikeforce: Houston | August 21, 2010 | 1 | 1:02 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Tony Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | KOTC: Imminent Danger | August 13, 2010 | 1 | 2:27 | Mescalero, New Mexico, United States | Won theKOTC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–0 | Lucas Browne | TKO (punches) | XMMA 2 | July 31, 2010 | 1 | 4:35 | Sydney, Australia | Won the XMMA Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 2–0 | John Devine | KO (punch) | Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs. Mahe | March 26, 2010 | 1 | 1:19 | Fresno, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Gary Frazier | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings | September 25, 2009 | 2 | 3:39 | Bixby, Oklahoma, United States |
| Senior Freestyle Results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | Location |
| Win | 40–6 |  Chris Pendleton | 12–5 | July 5, 2014 | UFC Fan Expo | |
2008 US Olympic Team Trials at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 39–6 | Damion Hahn | 1–0, 1–0 | June 15, 2008 | 2008 US Olympic Team Trials |
|
| Win | 38–6 | Damion Hahn | 6–1, 6–0 | |||
| 2008 US Nationals at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 37–6 | Nik Fekete | 7–0, 2–0 | April 26, 2008 | 2008 US Senior National Wrestling Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 36–6 | Max Askren | 5–0, 7–0 | |||
| Win | 35–6 | Willie Parks | 1–0, 1–0 | |||
| Win | 34–6 | Nick Preston | 5–0, 1–0 | |||
| 2008 Northwest Championships at 120 kg | ||||||
| Win | 33–6 | Les Sigman | 6–0, 2–0 | March 30, 2008 | 2008 Northwest Senior Freestyle Championships | Washington, United States |
| Win | 32–6 | K.C. Walsh | 7–0, 1–0 | |||
| Win | 31–6 | Clayton Jack | Fall | |||
2007 World Championships at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 30–6 |  Aleksey Krupnyakov | 1–0, 0–1, 1–0 | September 19, 2007 | 2007 World Wrestling Championships |  Baku, Azerbaijan |
| Win | 29–6 |  Kiyotaka Kodaira | 3–0, 6–0 | |||
| Loss | 28–6 |  Saeid Ebrahimi | 0–5, 1–2 | |||
| Win | 28–5 |  Ruslan Sheikhau | 0–1, 1–0, 3–0 | |||
| Win | 27–5 |  Ian Wardell | Tech. Fall | |||
| 2007 US World Team Trials at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 26–5 | Muhammed Lawal | 1–0, 1–0 | June 11, 2007 | 2007 US World Team Trials |
|
| Win | 25–5 | Muhammed Lawal | 2–1, 1–0 | |||
| 2007 US Nationals at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 24–5 | Muhammed Lawal | 1–0, 1–0 | April 7, 2007 | 2007 US Senior National Wrestling Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 23–5 | Kyle Cerminara | 4–0, 5–0 | |||
| Win | 22–5 | Israel Silva | Fall | |||
| 2007 Dave Schultz Memorial at 120 kg | ||||||
| Win | 21–5 | Steve Mocco | 0–1, 4–3, 1–0 | February 10, 2007 | 2007 Dave Schultz Memorial International | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Win | 20–5 | Tommy Rowlands | 2–0, 2–0 | |||
| Win | 19–5 | Pat Cummins | 3–0, 4–0 | |||
| Win | 18–5 | Arakida Nobuyoshi | Fall | |||
| 2006 World Championships 21st at 96 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 17–5 | Alireza Heidari | 0–2, 1–0, 0–7 | September 27, 2006 | 2006 World Wrestling Championships |  Guangzhou, China |
| 2006 US World Team Trials at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 17–4 | Damion Hahn | 4–0, 4–0 | May 28, 2006 | 2006 US World Team Trials |
|
| Win | 16–4 | Damion Hahn | 4–0, 4–0 | |||
| 2006 US Nationals at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 15–4 | Nik Fekete | 3–0, 5–0 | April 15, 2006 | 2006 US Senior National Wrestling Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 14–4 | Damion Hahn | 3–0, 2–0 | |||
| Win | 13–4 | Kyle Cerminara | Fall | |||
| Win | 12–4 | Raphael Davis | 6–0, 2–0 | |||
| 2005 World Championships 11th at 96 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 11–4 | Aleksey Krupnyakov | 1–2, 1–8 | September 26, 2005 | 2005 World Wrestling Championships |  Budapest, Hungary |
| Win | 11–3 |  Peter Pecha | 4–0, 3–0 | |||
| 2005 US Nationals at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 10–3 | Tommy Rowlands | 1–0, 2–0 | ???, 2005 | 2005 US Senior National Wrestling Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Win | 9–3 | Nick Preston | 0–1, 3–0, 6–1 | |||
| Win | 8–3 | Andrew Adams | 7–1, 7–1 | |||
| 2004 Summer Olympics 4th at 96 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 7–3 | Alireza Heidari | 2–3 | August 26, 2004 | 2004 Summer Olympics |  Athens, Greece |
| Loss | 7–2 |  Khadzhimurat Gatsalov | 0–5 | |||
| Win | 7–1 |  Bartlomiej Bartnicki | 10–1 | |||
| Win | 6–1 |  Radovan Valach | 9–0 | |||
| 2004 US Olympic Team Trials at 96 kg | ||||||
| Win | 5–1 | Tim Hartung | 7–0 | May 21, 2004 | 2004 US Olympic Team Trials |
|
| Win | 4–1 | Tim Hartung | Fall | |||
| 2003 World Championships 5th at96 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 3–1 | Alireza Heidari | 3–6 | September 12, 2003 | 2003 World Championships | Manhattan, New York |
| Win | 3–0 |  Antoine Jaoude | Fall | |||
| Win | 2–0 |  Ricardas Pauliukonis | Tech Fall | |||
| Win | 1–0 |  Hakan Koc | 9–3 | |||
| NCAA Championships Matches | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | ||
2001 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs | |||||||
| Loss | 6–3 | Cael Sanderson | 4–8 | March 15–17, 2001 | 2001 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
| Win | 6–2 | Andy Hrovat | TB 3–1 | ||||
| Win | 5–2 | Josh Lambrecht | MD 16–4 | ||||
| Win | 4–2 | Jake Stork | TF 22–7 | ||||
| Win | 3–2 | R.D Pursell | Fall | ||||
| 2000 NCAA Championships at 184 lbs | |||||||
| Loss | 1–2 | Cash Edwards | 10–15 | March 16–18, 2000 | 2000 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships | ||
| Loss | 1–1 | Doug Lee | 4–6 | ||||
| Win | 1–0 | Zach Breitenbach | 16–9 | ||||
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV Buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 182 | Jones vs.Cormier | January 3, 2015 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 800,000[138] |
| 2. | UFC 187 | Johnson vs.Cormier | May 23, 2015 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 375,000[139] |
| 3. | UFC 192 | Cormier vs.Gustafsson | October 3, 2015 | Toyota Center | Houston, Texas, U.S. | 250,000[140] |
| 4. | UFC 210 | Cormier vs.Johnson 2 | April 8, 2017 | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York, U.S | 300,000[141] |
| 5. | UFC 214 | Cormier vs.Jones 2 | July 29, 2017 | Honda Center | Anaheim, California, U.S. | 860,000[142] |
| 6. | UFC 226 | Miocic vs.Cormier | July 7, 2018 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 380,000[143] |
| 7. | UFC 230 | Cormier vs.Lewis | November 3, 2018 | Madison Square Garden | New York City, New York, U.S. | 250,000[144] |
| 8. | UFC 241 | Cormier vs.Miocic 2 | August 17, 2019 | Honda Center | Anaheim, California, U.S | Not Disclosed[145] |
| 9. | UFC 252 | Miocic vs.Cormier 3 | August 15, 2020 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 500,000[146] |
| Total sales | 3,715,000 | |||||
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by Jon Jones | 13thUFC Light Heavyweight Champion May 23, 2015 – December 28, 2018 Vacated title 174 days after winning the heavyweight title. | Vacant Title next held by Jon Jones |
| Preceded by | 20thUFC Heavyweight Champion July 7, 2018 – August 17, 2019 | Succeeded by |
