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Daniel Cormier
| Daniel Cormier | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 20, 1979 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Other names | DC, Black Fedor, The Dark Emperor |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 10 1⁄2 in (1.79 m) |
| Weight | 238 lb (108.0 kg; 17.0 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight (265 lb) |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
| Fighting out of | San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Team | American Kickboxing Academy |
| Wrestling | Olympian Freestyle Wrestling NCAA Division I Wrestling |
| Years active | 2009–present (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 10 |
| Wins | 10 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 0 |
| University | Oklahoma State University |
| Notable school(s) | Colby Community College Northside High School |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Competitor for  United States |
||
| Men’s freestyle wrestling | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2007 Baku | -96 kg |
| Pan American Games | ||
| Bronze | 2007 Rio de Janeiro | -96 kg |
| Gold | 2003 Santo Domingo | -96 kg |
| Pan American Championships | ||
| Gold | 2002 Maracaibo | -96 kg |
Daniel Cormier (born March 20, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and a former Olympic wrestler. He is currently signed to Strikeforce, fighting in the heavyweight division. Cormier is ranked #4 in the heavyweight division by Fight Matrix.
Contents |
Biography
Cormier is the son of Joseph and Audrey Cormier.[1] He has an older brother named Joseph and a sister named Felicia.[1] When Cormier was seven, his father was shot and killed on Thanksgiving Day in 1986 by the father of his second wife.[1]
He was a three-time Louisiana wrestling state champion in high school and high school All-American. In high school, Northside High School, he suffered only two losses after his freshman year, both coming in injury defaults. He had a 101–9 record during his high school career and was also an All-State performer in football.[2] After high school he attended Colby Community College where he was a two-time junior college national champion. After Colby he transferred to wrestling powerhouse Oklahoma State University where he was an NCAA runner-up, losing to Cael Sanderson in the finals.
Since graduating from college Daniel was on 5 United States world wrestling teams and the 2004 Olympic wrestling team, ending in 4th place, after to losing to Khadjimourat Gatsalov in the semi-finals.[3] Daniel was also a member of the 2008 Olympic wrestling team for the USA, where he was named team captain, but did not compete due to kidney failure.[4] Daniel also competed and represented the Oklahoma Slam team in the now defunct Real Pro Wrestling league and was crowned a champion in the first and only season in the 211 lb weight class. While he competed in Real Pro Wrestling, he was also teammates with fellow Strikeforce mixed martial arts competitor Muhammed Lawal, who also was a season 1 champion, in the 184 lb weight class. At Oklahoma State University he earned a degree in Sociology.
Mixed martial arts
He decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, in the heavyweight division. He has trained with Cain Velasquez, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck at American Kickboxing Academy.[5] Cormier signed an eight-fight deal with the Strikeforce organization and made his professional debut at Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings,[6] defeating Gary Frazier by TKO. In his second MMA fight Cormier defeated John Devine via first round KO. Cormier was the wrestling coach on The Ultimate Fighter 12 alongside Josh Koscheck with whom he wrestled at the NCAA Finals.
After a shortage of fights for Strikeforce, Cormier traveled to Australia and fought for Xtreme MMA. He defeated Lucas Browne to win the XMMA Heavyweight title on July 31. Just two weeks later he won his second MMA championship by winning the KOTC Heavyweight title on August 13 from Tony Johnson. He landed a solid punch on Johnson in the first round, causing his larger opponent to shoot in, but Cormier quickly gained the advantage with superior wrestling and Grappling and won the fight via rear naked choke. Just 8 days later he forced Jason Riley to tap out due to strikes at Strikeforce: Houston. He most recently defended the XMMA title in November 2010 against Soa Palelei. He won via submission to punches yet again in the first round, but broke his hand during the fight.
Cormier next fought Devin Cole at the Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine event on January 7, 2011, in Nashville, Tennessee.[7] He won via unanimous decision, the first time a fight of his has gone the distance. Cormier was to face Shane del Rosario at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum on June 18, 2011, in Dallas, Texas,[8] but his opponent was involved in a car accident and withdrew from the bout. Cormier instead faced Jeff Monson and won via a decision. Cormier used his striking to dominate Monson on the feet and didn’t allow for any takedowns, negating Monson’s submission ability.
Cormier faced Antonio Silva on September 10, 2011 at Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov, replacing Alistair Overeem.[9] 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 ref could stop the fight. Cormier later revealed that he broke his hand during the fight.[10]
He faced fellow finalist Josh Barnett on May 19, 2012 at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier.[11] Cormier dominated the five round fight, winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship by unanimous decision. He beat Barnett by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46).
Personal life
Cormier had one daughter, Kaedyn Imri Cormier, who died in a car accident on June 14, 2003.[1] He was married to a woman named Robin.[1] On February 16, 2011, he and his girlfriend had a son Daniel Ryan Cormier II, they are expecting a second child in March. Cain Velasquez and Todd Duffee are among his good friends within the sport of MMA.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Strikeforce
- Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion
- Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship (One time; current)
- King of the Cage
- KOTC Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- Xtreme MMA
- XMMA Heavyweight Champion (One time; Current)
- Inside MMA
- 2011 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award
- ESPN
- 2011 Upset of the Month vs. Antonio Silva on September 10
- Bleacher Report
- 2011 MMA All-Star Second Team
Professional wrestling
Amateur wrestling
- International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles
- 2008 USA Senior Freestyle Olympic Team Captain
- 2007 FILA Wrestling World Championships Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
- 2007 Pan American Games Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
- 2007 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2005 Super Cup Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
- 2005 World Cup Senior Freestyle Silver Medalist
- 2005 Ivan Yarygin Memorial Tournament Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2004 Boutiatyr Grand Prix Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2003 FILA Absolute Championship Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
- 2003 Ivan Yarygin Cup Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
- 2003 Pan American Games Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2002 Medved International Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2002 Sunkist Kids/ASU International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2002 Pan American Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2002 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Bronze Medalist
- 2001 Sunkist Kids International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2001 Dave Schultz Memorial International Open Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 1995 FILA Wrestling World Championships Cadet Greco-Roman Bronze Medalist
- USA Wrestling
- USA Senior Freestyle Olympic Team Trials Winner (2004, 2008)
- FILA Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Winner (2005, 2006, 2007)
- FILA Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Runner-up (2001, 2002)
- USA Senior Freestyle National Championship (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- Northwest Senior Freestyle Regional Championship (2008)
- John Smith Freestyle Wrestler of the Year Award (2007)
- ASICS Tiger High School All-American (1996, 1997)
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
- NCAA Division I Collegiate National Championship Runner-up (2001)
- NCAA Division I All-American (2001)
- Big 12 Conference Championship Runner-up (2000, 2001)
- National Junior College Athletic Association
- NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (2009)
- NJCAA Junior Collegiate National Championship (1998, 1999)
- NJCAA All-American (1998, 1999)
- National High School Coaches Association
- NHSCA Senior High School National Championship 3rd Place (1997)
- NHSCA Senior All-American (1997)
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 10 matches | 10 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 0 |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 10–0 | Josh Barnett | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier | May 19, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, USA | Strikeforce 2011 Heavyweight Grand Prix Final. |
| Win | 9–0 | Antonio Silva | KO (punches) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov | September 10, 2011 | 1 | 3:56 | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | Strikeforce 2011 Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinal |
| Win | 8–0 | Jeff Monson | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum | June 18, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Dallas, Texas, USA | Strikeforce 2011 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, USA | |
| Win | 6–0 | Soa Palelei | Submission (punches) | Xtreme MMA 3 | November 5, 2010 | 1 | N/A | Sydney, Australia | Defended XMMA Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Jason Riley | Submission (punches) | Strikeforce: Houston | August 21, 2010 | 1 | 1:02 | Houston, Texas, USA | |
| Win | 4–0 | Tony Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | KOTC: Imminent Danger | August 13, 2010 | 1 | 2:27 | Mescalero, New Mexico, USA | Won KOTC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–0 | Lucas Browne | TKO (punches) | Xtreme MMA 2 | July 31, 2010 | 1 | 4:35 | Sydney, Australia | Won XMMA Heavyweight championship. |
| Win | 2–0 | John Devine | KO (punch) | Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs. Mahe | March 26, 2010 | 1 | 1:19 | Fresno, California, USA | |
| Win | 1–0 | Gary Frazier | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings | September 25, 2009 | 2 | 3:39 | Bixby, Oklahoma, USA |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e “Daniel Cormier bio”. Nbcolympics.com. 2008. http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1311/bio/index.html. Retrieved 2008.
- ^ www.themat.com/bios
- ^ http://www.danielcormierwrestling.com
- ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/American-wrestler-Daniel-Cormier-will-not-compet?urn=oly,102321
- ^ http://www.themmadigest.com/2009/08/podcast-olympic-wrestler-daniel-cormier-entering-mma/
- ^ http://mmajunkie.com/news/16103/former-olympian-daniel-cormier-gets-final-tv-spot-at-sept-25-strikeforce-event.mma
- ^ “Tyron Woodley vs. Tarec Saffiedine Heads Strikeforce Challengers 13″. MMAWeekly.com. 2010-12-06. http://mmaweekly.com/tyron-woodley-vs-tarec-saffiedine-heads-strikeforce-challengers-13.
- ^ “Strikeforce in Dallas Gets Gina Carano, Overeem vs. Griggs, and del Rosario vs. Cormier”. MMAWeekly.com. 2011-04-09. http://mmaweekly.com/strikeforce-in-dallas-gets-gina-carano-overeem-vs-griggs-and-del-rosario-vs-cormier. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- ^ Morgan, John (2011-04-09). “Overeem yanked from Strikeforce grand prix, Cormier to fill in against “Bigfoot”". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/24460/overeem-yanked-from-strikeforce-grand-prix-cormier-to-fill-in-against-bigfoot.mma. Retrieved 20101-07-18.
- ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Strikeforce-Heavyweight-Finalist-Cormier-Confirms-Broken-Hand-35576
- ^ “Strikeforce heavyweight tournament finalists Josh Barnett vs Daniel Cormier staredown pic”. MMAmania.com. 2011-09-11. http://www.mmamania.com/2011/9/11/2417815/strikeforce-heavyweight-tournament-finalists-josh-barnett-vs-daniel. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
External links
- Professional MMA record for Daniel Cormier from Sherdog
- Daniel Cormier profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Olympic profile at sports-reference.com
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- 1979 births
- Living people
- People from Lafayette, Louisiana
- American mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from Louisiana
- Heavyweight mixed martial artists
- African-American mixed martial artists
- American sport wrestlers
- Wrestlers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Wrestlers at the 2007 Pan American Games
- Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic wrestlers of the United States
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