“I just wasn’t as good.”
Daniel Cormier had one of the most impressive runs in recent UFC and MMA history. From Olympic freestyle and NCAA Division I wrestling, “DC” smoothly transitioned into mixed martial arts to later become a light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, and eventually inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
But like any successful athlete, Cormier has some things he wished he did differently in his career. During the UFC 285 heavyweight fan Q&A over the weekend, he revealed two of those regrets.
“I probably would have retired after I beat Stipe the first time or beat Derrick Lewis,” he said (quotes via MMA Mania). “Just to be done. Because I threw my back out and I just wasn’t as good.”
Regret number two involved an unorthodox move he once tried against Frank Mir, one that likely wasn’t in his toolbox, to begin with.
“Also, I might not have thrown that kick against Frank. “You remember that kick I tried to do? When I jumped and tried to kick you,” he said, addressing Mir, who was part of the panel.
“You looked at me like, ‘What the f—k are you doing?’ I might have not did that in the Octagon because people still make fun of me about jumping and trying to kick Frank. They called me the Kung-Fu Panda.”
Cormier lost to Miocic twice after his UFC 230 title defense against Lewis in 2018. He retired in 2020 after the third Miocic fight and left the sport with a record of 22-3 (with 1 NC).
About the author: Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments. (full bio)