Daniel Cormier recalls crying after his MMA losses; explains the mental pressure faced by UFC fighters and other athletes
Widely revered former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier isn't one to shy away from expressing his emotions. After losses to Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, Cormier was notably seen shedding tears. While some in the MMA community have mocked DC, others have voiced their support for the UFC icon.
In the latest episode of ESPN MMA's DC & RC podcast, Daniel Cormier spoke about crying after his losses and highlighted the mental pressure faced by professional athletes. He stated:
“Every time people laughed at me when I cried – When (Jon) Jones beat me in Anaheim, or I cried when Stipe (Miocic) got me, or I cried after my last fight – those tears are earned. Those tears are earned. You don’t get to cry for nothing. Those tears are earned through hard work because I put so much of myself into everything that those tears are earned."
"So, when you see athletes like Paige (VanZant) or you see Naomi Osaka say, ‘I just can’t do this’, it’s so much bigger – Because, so much goes into preparing yourself for an actual competition, for something at the professional level. There’s a reason that it’s called professional.”
Check out the episode below:
Daniel Cormier reiterated his respect for professional athletes
During the podcast episode with co-host Ryan Clark, Daniel Cormier spoke about multiple famous athletes such as tennis star Naomi Osaka, legendary US gymnast Simone Biles, and former UFC star Paige VanZant.
Daniel Cormier shed light upon the admiration and respect he has for professional athletes from all sports. Cormier continued to highlight the mental pressure that athletes, including UFC fighters, face as part of their professional lives. DC said:
“There’s a reason that these people that go inside the octagon – men, women, whoever goes into there – are professional fighters. Because they are different. And when they are different, and they cry in front of you, to be judged for the world, they have put (in) so much work, and those tears are earned in that work.”
Daniel Cormier’s final professional MMA fight was a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight title trilogy fight at UFC 252 in August 2020. DC confirmed his retirement from MMA after the contest.
Presently, Daniel Cormier enjoys a successful career as a UFC analyst and commentator. The belief is that DC is unlikely to return to professional MMA competition again.