Daniel Cormier is a retired Olympic wrestler, mixed martial artist and UFC fighter. Considered the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Cormier is third on the UFC’s list of top pound-for-pound fighters.
Nevertheless, his life was not entirely won – perhaps his greatest adversary in life was death, which repeatedly beat him and caused him to lose loved ones. Read more to get to know this UFC Light Heavyweight champion better.
Daniel Cormier Bio
Daniel Cormier was born Daniel Omar Cormier on March 20, 1979 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He is one of the four children of his parents, Joseph and Audrey Cormier. His siblings are an older brother, Joseph, a sister, Felicia, and a younger brother, Ferral Cormier. He reportedly attended two high schools. It is tied to Louisiana High School and Northside High School. After high school, Cormier attended Colby Community College for two years before transferring to Oklahoma State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Youth and career
Daniel Cormier twice experienced a tragedy in his life. He had lost his father in a family shooting when he was eight years old. As an adult, he had lost his three-month-old daughter in a car accident. The wrestler, however, used these tragedies to propel himself forward. Read all about his tragic experiences and brilliant career.
He entered the fight after being caught beating in the school parking lot. Interrupting the two young classmates who were so busy crossing their fists, the school wrestling coach (who ended the fight) indicated that there was a productive way to fight through the school wrestling team. A few days later, Cormier signed and joined the school’s wrestling team.
While in high school (Northside High School), Cormier competed in state level wrestling championships (Louisiana State Championships). He won 3 titles and was voted State Championship Outstanding Wrestler twice. By the time he left school, he had only lost 9 times in 110 wrestling duels. After conquering the state, Cormier competed at the Greco-Roman World Championships in 1995 and won a bronze medal in the cadet division.
Daniel Cormier also played high school football as a linebacker. He was so gifted that he was offered a scholarship to continue playing at the prestigious Louisiana State University (LSU), which he declined in preference to a career in wrestling. He joined Colby Community College, where he continued his wrestling journey and won the national college championship in 1998 and 1999.
His college wrestling record was spotless with 61 wins and no losses before transferring to the University of Oklahoma (OSU) in 2000 and going 26-5 that same year. He became an American in 2001 (after missing a game the previous year) and his last record was 53 wins and 10 losses (with six of his losses coming against Cael Sanderson ).
Daniel Cormier became the Real Pro Wrestling league disband champion in 2004, which was his only season. He represented the United States at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics in the wrestling category (although he retired from his fights in 2008 due to kidney failure, he was however the team captain ). He was also the US national champion consecutively between 2003 and 2008. In 2003 and 2005, Cormier won the gold medal at the quadrennial Pan American Games. In 2007, he won the bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships.
He retired from wrestling after a problem with kidney failure in 2008 kept him out of training for 12 months. He made his comeback in 2009 but this time in mixed martial arts (MMA). He trained with the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California along with other kickboxers which gave him a different approach to his fighting style. His first fight in MMA was in September 2009, where he won.
He also fought in the Xtreme(XMMA) Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship and won his first MMA title. His second title – the KOTC Heavyweight Championship – came two weeks later after defeating then-champion Tony Johnson. He signed with the Strikeforce organization for eight fights and won them all. He is currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he is the light heavyweight champion.
Net value
Despite all of his successes in the ring – from his years of mixed martial arts (MMA) wrestling and his fights in the UFC, the American-born UFC light heavyweight champion has amassed some good fortune for himself. His salary cannot be calculated because he is not paid monthly or weekly but per fight. Fans who want to know what he is worth would be happy to know that Daniel Cormier currently has a net worth of $4 million.
Wife, daughter of Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier is long-married girlfriend, Salina Deleon. He offered to do it on July 4, 2014 at the Gardens of the Castle in Las Vegas. They tied the knot three years later on May 27, 2017. They have two children together, one son, Daniel Jr. (born February 16, 2011). ) and a daughter, Marquita Cormier (March 4, 2012).
Cormier had a daughter, Kaedyn Imri Cormier with his then-girlfriend, Oklahoma State track athlete Carolyn Flowers. He was, however, killed in a car crash on June 14, 2003, when an 18-wheeler truck collided with the car carrying the 3-month-old child in Austin, Texas. He had also been married to a woman known by her first name, Robin, in 2002. However, they divorced in 2003 and the marriage was annulled.
Other Facts – Height, Weight, Net Worth
Daniel Cormier is 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall but has always beaten tall opponents. He weighs 93 kg (205 lb) and his measurements are not available.
He was offered a chance to be part of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but he declined.
The condition (kidney failure) that kept him out of wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics also saw him retire prematurely from wrestling.
He is currently an assistant trainer at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), in San Jose, California.
Daniel Cormier’s son, Daniel Jr., is following in his father’s footsteps and training at the AKA in amateur wrestling.
Cormier is undefeated in his 11 mixed martial arts (MMA) fights, including eight bouts at Strikeforce.
He has an eternal rivalry with Jon Jones in the UFC.
