Daniel Cormier to Be Enshrined in Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

Daniel Cormier will be enshrined in another Hall of Fame in the very near future.

The former UFC two-division champion will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024, it was recently announced. Cormier, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, joins notables such as ex-New Orleans Saints star quarterback Drew Brees and Olympic gold medalist and UFC veteran Kevin Jackson in the nine-person class. The inductees were chosen out of 149 nominees by a 40-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association committee. The date for the ceremony will be announced soon.

Cormier and Jackson are the first amateur wrestlers to be inducted in to the LSHOF. Jackson also coached Cormier for Team USA in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.

“DC” made his name on the mats at Lafayette’s Northside High School, where he compiled a 101-9 record and won three straight state titles. He went on to earn All-American honors at Oklahoma State University, and in addition to being a member of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team, won six consecutive gold medals in freestyle wrestling at the USA Wrestling championships from 2003-2008 and gold at the Pan Am Games in 2003.

Cormier’s exploits in mixed martial arts ultimately resulted in his enshrinement in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022. Anchored at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, Cormier won the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix before transitioning to the UFC, where he became just the second simultaneous two-division champion in promotion history. His 22-3 record includes wins over the likes of Stipe Miocic, Anthony Johnson, Anderson Silva, Alexander Gustafsson, Derrick Lewis, Dan Henderson, Roy Nelson, Frank Mir and Josh Barnett.

Cormier currently serves as a combat sports analyst for ESPN and also works as a commentator for UFC events.