By Cassandra Cousineau of LVSportsBiz.com
With the most consequential heavyweight championship in UFC history on the line in Las Vegas Saturday night, Daniel Cormier — the one-time, two-division champion — won’t exactly ride off into the sunset after the UFC 252 results are read by Jimmy Buffer.
Cormier, after all, is a company man. And at this point, he’s grandfathered in.
At 41 years old, Cormier is an elder statesman in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. With a record of 22-2-1 (1 NC) , he’s just the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously — famously earning him the moniker, “Champ-Champ.” Regardless of the result of tonight’s fight with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, the former lightweight and heavyweight title holder has said his storied career in the octagon will come to an end.
However, Cormier has entered that rare space where an athlete’s main occupation could be eclipsed by his side job.
Considering his fighting career in UFC, it’s quite astonishing how the Louisiana-born, Gilroy, California- raised fighter has so effortlessly and seamlessly become one of the best MMA commentators in the media. Cormier occupies a spot on the UFC’s A-team of broadcasters, and could very well be one of the best ever to sit behind the desk for the Las Vegas-based promotion.
A lot was on the line for Cormier in his third match with Miocic at UFC’s Apex building off the 215 in the Las Vegas southwest valley. As UFC President Dana White has said, “We’re going to find out who is the best heavyweight of all times. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Even with the loss to Miocic and an injury to his eye during the fight that sent him to the hospital, Cormier’s status among the greatest in MMA history is secure as a fighter. UFC is a marketing juggernaut, and in 2020 he’s benefited perhaps more than anyone on the roster from the sports shutdown because to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were the only show in town in Jacksonville. My profile was raised tenfold because there were no sports going on in the world. So it allows me to stay visible when I’m not even fighting and it’s been great,” Cormier told LVSportsbiz.com this week asked him about how his work as a commentator has impacted his value as a fighter.
“It helps to build you as a fighter, it just helps you overall,” he said. “So, me being at the commentary desk for all the biggest fights, that’s massive for me in terms of recognition.”
The mostly jovial and personable father has had his share of disappointments and is able to relate to the MMA athletes whose fights he calls. In 2003, Cormier’s 3-month old daughter, Kaedyn, died in a car accident. In 2008, he nearly succumbed to kidney failure while attempting to make weight and join the US Olympic team wrestling team.
In addition to his heart-wrenching losses to his biggest rival, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Cormier embraces his failures and looks at his entire journey in combat sports as preparing him to be a role model.
“When I was growing up, I didn’t have that many people to look up to in that way. So, when you can touch someone like me in the community, it means a lot. I love giving back. I love doing things that are going to make an impact on people,” Cormier said. “So, yeah, it’s very important ”
When LVSportsbiz.com asked if his job as a commentator has inpacted his work inside the cage, Cormier responded, “It’s helped me tremendously because I watch these guys and I learn from everyone. I learn from young kids. I learn from older fighters. I just learn from everybody.”
That includes his opponent for UFC 252. “I try to pick up things from Stipe. I’ve called Stipe’s fights before. It helps because you don’t look for the weaknesses. You look for everything and you respect the guy for his skills.”
The fighter turned broadcaster has often stepped up for White whether that was for a short notice fight or to fly across the world to lead a team of commentators. His relationship with UFC is well chronicled as a positive one.
“I’m a guy with a big ego. Dana didn’t just say, ‘DC you’re a great guy, fight for a championship.’ I’ve earned these opportunities, so all of these tough guys that I fight, then title fights in a row- that’s all earned. It’s not because they like me. These guys aren’t my friends to the point that they just give me championship fights. I train. I fight. I win,” Cormier said.
“That’s why I continue to find myself in this position. All of this pressure is earned. This isn’t given,” he said.
At his level, with his body of work in the fight game, reflecting on his legacy has to be part of the process. His desk job will have to wait for at least up to five more rounds Saturday night. When it’s all over and the championship has been decided, Cormier has already determined what would be more important to him.
“For me it’s about getting the belt back. It’s about the belt,” he said.
And when the fate of the belt is determined, he knows he has another career to fall back on at UFC.
In other UFC news, White said his team was literally trying to figure out how to build its own COVID-19 testing lab.
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