In the world of combat sports, few figures are as genuinely wholesome as Daniel Cormier. The former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion never shies away from sharing his wealth of knowledge, whether it’s about a fierce rival or a curious 12-year-old just trying to understand the journey to greatness. In a recent heartwarming moment, Cormier sat down with Mario Lopez’s son, Dominico Lopez, to answer his questions about the fight game. Let’s take a closer look at how ‘DC’ turned a simple Q&A into a masterclass in mentorship.
In a candid one-on-one with Dominico Lopez, Daniel Cormier was first asked how he manages to juggle multiple responsibilities, from running wrestling camps and doing UFC commentary to hosting his own podcast. Nico asked how he had not been overwhelmed by his schedule. Responding to his question with a slight smile on his face, ‘DC’ stated, “It’s tough, you know, but you put things where they work, right? And we always put our kids first. So first, it’s being a dad, providing for you guys, and everything else comes second. It’s better to be busy than not have anything to do at all. I love every second of it.”
Content with the answer, Nico then asked the former dual-weight champion about his experience and how he felt representing the United States at the greatest sporting event in the world. Replying to Nico, Daniel Cormier expressed that, out of everything he has accomplished in his life, nothing compares to the immense pride he felt competing in the Olympics: “Yeah, it was tough, but I never felt more pride than when I walked out there representing our country,” said Cormier.
He further added, “You know, you go out there with that United States signal, the flags on your chest, and I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever have more pride than when I wrestled in the Olympic Games.” In the end, when Nico asked Cormier what advice he would give to the people of his age? He replied, “Trust the process.”
“Nothing is easy. Everybody says the same thing, but the reason everybody says the same thing is that it’s true. Even when it’s hard, and things aren’t going the way you expected, you just keep trusting, and eventually, it gets better. Does it mean it’s easy? No. But it’s worth it.”, ‘DC’ said.
Daniel Cormier understands the importance of nurturing the next generation to help elevate American sports to new heights. But that wasn’t the only heartwarming thing ‘DC’ did recently.
Daniel Cormier explains why he will always respect Jon Jones
We all know the kind of relationship Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones share. The two have been bitter rivals for years, and despite Cormier’s retirement from the sport, there is still some animosity lingering between them. After ‘Bones’ announced his decision to retire from MMA, Cormier criticized him for not facing Tom Aspinall. However, he also praised Jones, acknowledging him as one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen.
While having a conversation with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Cormier stated, “It’s big. We’re talking about a kid that started this thing at like 19, 20 years old. He has spanned three different eras of heavyweights and light heavyweights… Nobody gets that amount of time at the top without the crowd catching you because when you’re the best, everyone’s training to beat you. Jon Jones managed to not only stay relevant but also win every time he stepped foot in that Octagon.”
He further added, “Everything else aside, all the stuff outside of the Octagon, he won every time that he was put in a fight with a man, one-on-one, and he beat me in Anaheim.” Acknowledging his opponent despite everything that had happened, Daniel Cormier certainly handled the situation with class, effectively shaping the narrative in his favor.
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