What’s Next For Daniel Cormier Following UFC 252?
It appears that Daniel Cormier is sticking to his word.
This past Saturday at UFC 252, Cormier lost to Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Title. A back and forth affair, the trilogy bout saw Cormier lose via unanimous decision. 1-2 against Miocic, Cormier stated before the fight that he would end his career, win, lose, or draw. The 41-year-old ended up reflecting on his journey, discussing his eleven-year career and the events of UFC 252.
On an Instagram post, Cormier stated the following:
“Thank you all for the love and support. Not what I wanted or expected but it is what it is. Congrats to @stipemiocic on a fantastic fight, was an honor and pleasure to share the octagon with you for 50 minutes. Boy did we give ‘em a show everytime.
“To my team: I love you all to death, you’ve made so many sacrifices. I hope I made you guys proud. Salina and the kids: thank you for being my motivation. To all the fans: I love you so much. You guys push me to try and be great. To @danawhite and the @ufc: I have loved every minute. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Been a helluva ride, huh?”
While he did not use the word “retire”, it seems he will be focusing on family and commentary work for the foreseeable future. Cormier must also heal from an eye injury he suffered early in the fight.
The 41-year-old Cormier (22-3, 1 NC) made his MMA debut in 2009. A Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner, Miocic would join the UFC in 2013. He joined the light heavyweight division and would beat almost every fighter in his way. He won the UFC Light Heavyweight Title after Jon Jones was stripped of the belt, and became a two-division champion when he beat Miocic for the title in 2018.
A Division-I All-American, Cormier has beaten the likes of Anthony Johnson, Anderson Silva, Alexander Gustafsson, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett, Roy Nelson, and Dan Henderson.