Daniel Cormier confesses major regret that tainted two losses on legendary record

Daniel Cormier wishes he could bow out in prime state after Stipe Miocic war at UFC 226, like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre.

Daniel Cormier confesses major regret that tainted two losses on legendary record

Daniel Cormier wishes he could go out in prime condition after Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 (Source: X)

Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier admitted he should have hung up his fight kit sooner. ‘DC’ retired from the sport in 2020 after two consecutive losses to Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title. The former NCAA Division I All-American was one of only a handful in UFC competition to not only win but also successfully defend both straps simultaneously.

These days, Daniel Cormier keeps to UFC PPV Live play-by-play hosting duties. He also has the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ Podcast going for ESPN MMA, along with Chael Sonnen. However, the ex-Olympian wrestler gets to contemplate his fighting career, sometimes. Now, Cormier has concocted a timeline of when he should have ideally listened to his body and walked away from the sport.

Listen to not only your body – because your body is going to tell you first, …Your mind will actually tell you. You know when it’s time. Not everybody gets what Khabib got. Khabib literally got a fairytale. Him and Georges St-Pierre got to leave on top. Not everybody gets that. But listen to what’s available, the signs, everything that’s pinging at your mind. When you don’t love to train no more, you’re probably done.

Daniel Cormier on the ‘WOLFpak’ Podcast LIVE 4/30 @12pm pst/3pm est!

After knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 to gain double-champ status, Cormier was on the high moon. The UFC veteran went on to then successfully defend his hardware with a submission of Derrick Lewis at UFC 230. 

That’s when he thinks he should have laced up no more and gotten out on a high note. It is something the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and others did (29-0). Even Georges St-Pierre snagged the middleweight crown but didn’t try his luck more and retired from the sport.

It’s a stream of thought many fighters have followed over the years. UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier, for example, recently announced his last dance before the sport could retire him on a bad note. Cormier wished he had been the same against Stipe Miocic.

Daniel Cormier reiterated when he should have hung it up

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) hung it up as an undefeated lightweight legend on an impressive winning streak. The then-UFC 155-pound champ called it quits after submitting Justin Gaethje for his third defense at UFC 254 in October 2020. The matchup won him Best Submission ESPY and other awards later on as well.

Daniel Cormier reiterates when he thought to call it quits to UFC tenure
Daniel Cormier reiterates when he thought to call it quits to UFC tenure (Source: X)

Meanwhile, Georges ‘Rush’ St-Pierre didn’t rush it in on his end. The welterweight GOAT made a run for 20-2 UFC stats. He emerged from a four-year layoff to battle Michael Bisping and win the middleweight crown in 2017. However, he called it quits while he was ahead.

Circumstances weren’t ideal for Daniel Cormier, as it was at a top state after UFC 226. The latter two of their scraps with Stipe Moicic were something he would rather have avoided. Cormier wished he would have gotten out like the others, at top, as well. Dressed in blue against his own studio background (@DC_MMA on YouTube), a mature and somewhat melancholic Cormeir talked about it further.

When you don’t love the competition or look forward to it anymore, you’re probably done. Honestly, I didn’t need to fight that last fight against Stipe, the last two. I didn’t need to…I just wanted to fight and I wasn’t ready to let go. There was way too much money at the time – the money got way too good. But we did a training camp in my garage because they shut down AKA. I should’ve recognized it…

Daniel Cormier further said

Daniel Cormier’s fighting days are behind him now. He is, however, returning in a coaching capacity along and opposite Sonnen for The Ultimate Fighter. “TUF Season 33” is currently filming. The season premieres on May 27th on ESPN2, ESPN+, and UFC Fight Pass. Eight flyweights/welterweights recently joined the roster for The Ultimate Fighter 33. 

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