Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier, who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame back in summer 2022, does not want to let longtime lightweight veteran Jim Miller into the coveted club because “A-10” did not rack up enough accomplishments outside of his astounding longevity.
Read that hotly-debated take right here.
Shortly after sharing his opinion, outraged MMA fans went after Cormier on social media, demanding a better explanation from “DC.” It appears the Olympian will not be swayed by pressure from his social media followers and recently doubled down on his position.
“I love Jim Miller, I’m not shitting on him but it’s my point of view,” Cormier said. “I stand by it man. People disagree all the time but I’m not wrong. My points are valid as are the ones saying he should get in. As the sport keeps growing these discussions will happen more.”
Miller has often been compared to fellow lightweight iron man Donald Cerrone. “Cowboy” is neck-and-neck with “A-10” in many of the same categories, which is why Cormier believes Cerrone falls “just short” of landing a spot in hallowed hall.
“Cowboy in my opinion shouldn’t be in HOF but I can [understand] the argument for him,” Cormier continued. “He is on a lot of same lists but also spent a lot of time in Top 10 and fought for title. But for me he would have still been a little short.”
UFC disagrees and will induct Cerrone this July in Las Vegas.
“You have to do something extraordinary — longevity is an extraordinary feat,” longtime UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown told MMA Fighting. “We’ve got to be in the .1 percent of MMA fighters who have been in the UFC [for this long]. How many thousands and thousands of fighters have been in the UFC at this point? [Miller has] got the most wins, too. It’s not like he simply wasn’t doing anything the whole time. He’s entitled to his own opinion but if your criteria’s going to be that you have to be a champion to get in, well that’s going to exclude a lot of guys that probably deserve to get in.”
Miller, 39, has more fights (42), more wins (25), and more submission attempts (47) than anyone in the history of the promotion. He’s also ranked second in finishes (17) and submission wins (11) and holds a spot in the Top 5 for most performance bonuses (14).
“A-10” was last seen knocking out Jesse Butler at UFC Vegas 74 earlier this month at APEX.