Last night at UFC 241 in Anaheim California we saw one of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts Daniel Cormier a champion at light heavyweight and heavyweight, an all-around good guy even though a lot of people don’t like him, try and defend his Heavyweight title against the man he beat to become the champion Stipe Miocic. Unfortunately for Cormier, the mission was not accomplished as he lost via TKO in the 4th round of a fight he was winning on all three judges scorecards.
Last night may have been the final time we were lucky enough to witness one of the best to ever compete do battle, and if last night was it, despite the loss we were all treated to one hell of a fight from DC. DC had said he wanted to retire by the time he turned 40. He celebrated his 40th birthday earlier this year and stuck around anyway.
Nobody wants to end their career on a loss, and certainly somebody as competitive as Cormier is is not going to rest easy if he and his family choose to retire on a loss. I honestly don’t know if he’ll be able to sleep at night if he walks away from the sport after last night.
Here’s the thing, he doesn’t have anything else to prove to you, me or anybody else including himself! He has achieved the highest levels he possibly could in a sport that is very unforgiving. Even more importantly, he did it the right way. No scandals, no failed drug tests, no arrests for acting like a fool in public, no paternity suits, he did all of this as a true alpha and behaved like a boy scout!
The wrestling coach at American Kickboxing Academy, ESPN analyst, color commentator and high school wrestling coach will always be a part of this sport as long as he can breathe air into his lungs. Talking, teaching, and being an example of what hard work can get you to the MMA and wrestling communities is just as much of his legacy as what he accomplished inside the cage, and maybe even more than shiny gold belts!
I was a fan certainly do not want to see him retire, not yet. I think he has more left to offer, and can still compete at the highest level of the sport for championships.
Respected amongst his peers, Cormier is loved by many a fan and his fellow fighters. One, in particular, UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway seems to have really been touched by Cormier and penned a very touching and beautiful tribute to Cormier on his Instagram page. Holloway gets it, and truly conveyed what so many others think and feel when it comes to Daniel Cormier.
“I can’t even remember how DC entered my life. He’s like the kid who sits at your lunch table and talks to you just so he can eat some of your food. Now here we are… my big brother. Big brother to Khabib. Captain to AKA. Coach at Gilroy High. Legacy isn’t about the belts you take from the sport. It’s about what you leave behind. So many of us out here chasing things for ourselves and DC been out here chasing the next lunch tables, finding the next generation he can pay it forward to. I don’t know what DC’s family will decide to do. But I know he has nothing left to prove, and even if he did we’ll all still be here proving it for him every day. And when we’re done, it’ll be some kids from Gilroy taking our spots, still proving what doesn’t have to be proven any more. That DC is still and will always be the number one pound for pound daddest man on the planet. Bruce Buffer don’t need you in there to do his job. But I need you to do mine. Rest up and get back to my lunch table big brother. I love you.”
As of right now, we don’t know if we will ever see DC fight again he said he’s going to discuss it with his family and make a decision soon. If last night was it, all I can say is thank you DC for always performing to the best of your ability, and for entertaining us all these years.
Christopher James has been in the MMA industry for 15 years, Working as a ring announcer for promotions like the XFC, Island Fights, Combat Night and Fight Nights Global during his career. Chris’ love for the sport and the athletes that partake in it led him to writing and doing face to face interviews with the athletes he admired and respected. Chris isn’t conventional by any stretch of the imagination, he has his own style, and takes pride in not being a “cookie-cutter” member of the media. Unique and sometimes controversial takes are what he brings to the table, forcing folks to think a little differently about the world of MMA. He also has a love for music as he has been a dj for 25 years and his love for music gets brought to the MMA world when he gets his guests to sing on his weekly show Cage Side with Christopher James which can be seen Wednesday nights on FACEBOOK LIVE, and soon via podcast.