20 fighters Daniel Cormier has beat and one he never has

UFC Heavyweight and Light-Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier made his MMA debut nine years ago in Strikeforce and debuted inside UFC's Octagon on April 20, 2013 with an impressive unanimous points victory over former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Frank Mir.

Cormier smashed through little known fighters, Gary Frazier, John Devine, Lucas Brown, Tony Johnson and Jason Riley before stepping up to defeat higher caliber opponents such as: Soa Palelei, Jeff Monson and the monstrous giants, Bigfoot and Josh Barnett.

Cormier's final fight in Strikeforce saw him overcome Dion Staring before he joined UFC.

Ever since his UFC debut, Cormier has impressed and become a bonafide UFC legend. In his MMA career he has racked up 21 wins over 20 opponents and lost just once.

In his second UFC bout, Cormier followed up his impressive win over Mir with another victory, over perennial Heavyweight contender, Roy Nelson at UFC 166.

Cormier won his fifteenth consecutive MMA bout against the legendary, Dan Henderson in a memorable encounter at UFC 173, wherein Cormier secured the win with a rear naked choke with only a minute of the fight remaining.

In his next outing, Cormier challenged for his first title in UFC, the Light-Heavyweight Championship which was held by Jon Jones, who was in the midst of the longest Light-Heavyweight Title reign of all time.

Cormier took the Champion to the limit through five rounds of action but lost his first and thus far only fight by decision.

Cormier finally got his hands on the gold at UFC 187, after Jones had been stripped of the title, when he defeated Anthony Johnson for the vacant strap with a rear naked choke which earned him "performance of the night" honours.

Cormier beat Johnson again in a re-match either side of a defence versus Alexander Gustafsson. Johnson had therefore, gained the questionable honour of being the only man to lose to Cormier twice.

After defeating everyone there was to beat in the Light-Heavyweight division, Cormier found himself opposite Jones once more with the title on the line.

Both men came out swinging at UFC 214 but Jones was the man landing more damage with his striking combinations in the first round. Cormier showed how much he had improved from their first fight by coming back strong at Jones in the second before the former Champion ended things in the third with a brutal flying knee, followed by elbows and punches for the Knockout victory.

Just like that and Cormier was down and out at the hands of Jones once more. Only, that result wouldn't stand. Cormier's second ever MMA defeat (both to Jones) was overturned when Jones once more tested positive for steroids.

Cormier exchanges

blows

with Jones in their controversial re-match at UFC 214blows

with Jones in their controversial re-match at UFC 214

That was a sorry situation in truth but in some ways was a reprieve for Cormier who was even at one round apiece on the scorecards before the knockout. Did Jones's steroid use impact on the fight? It's impossible to know but the fight was retrospectively ruled a No Contest and the Light-Heavyweight Championship was returned to Cormier who still reigns as Champion at time of writing.

Stepping up to Heavyweight, the veteran, secured his legacy when he defeated the longest reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion in history, Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 to win the Heavyweight title and become a double-weight Champion.

Post-match he was confronted by WWE Superstar and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar, seemingly setting up his first Heavyweight title defence.

Cormier and Lesnar exchange words following Cormier's victory over Miocic at UFC 226

Cormier may never get the opportunity to avenge his only ever defeat versus Jon Jones but a victory over Lesnar would cement his celebrity and legacy in the sport.

After all, 20 men have tasted defeat against Cormier and only one man has bested him. Few fighters can boast a better record than that.

---

Send us news tips at [email protected].