From Wrestling to Mixed Martial Arts: Daniel Cormier Inducted into Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

Daniel Cormier, a former Oklahoma State wrestler and UFC standout, was recently inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Cormier was a prominent member of the Oklahoma State wrestling team in 2000 and 2001, boasting a career record of 52-10 with 36 bonus-point wins. He qualified for the NCAA Championships twice and earned the title of All-American as the national runner-up at 184 pounds. During his time at Oklahoma State, Cormier helped the team secure back-to-back Big 12 titles.

After his collegiate career, Cormier excelled on the freestyle wrestling circuit, representing the United States from 2003 to 2008. As a two-time Olympic qualifier, he came in fourth in 2004 and narrowly missed out on a medal in 2008 due to illness. Cormier’s standout performance at the World Championships in 2007 earned him a bronze medal. Prior to his time at Oklahoma State, Cormier had already made a name for himself as a three-time state champion at Northside High School and a two-time NJCAA champion at Colby Community College.

Transitioning to mixed martial arts in 2009, Cormier began his career in Strikeforce and quickly rose to prominence by winning his first 11 bouts. He went on to become the King of the Cage heavyweight champion and won the 2012 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. In the UFC, Cormier made history by becoming the second fighter to hold two divisional titles simultaneously and successfully defended titles in two weight classes. With a career record of 22-3 with one no-contest, Cormier ranks third all-time in light heavyweight wins and tied for 10th in heavyweight victories.

In addition to his accomplishments in wrestling and mixed martial arts, Cormier is now an analyst for ESPN’s combat sports coverage. He is also a member of several other halls of fame including UFC Hall of Fame, National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame and Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame. The Class of