Daniel Cormier is the kind of guy who shouldn't have been a world-class fighter. Seriously. He’s 5'11" on a good day, often looked a bit soft around the middle, and started his MMA career at an age when most guys are thinking about retirement. Yet, when you look at the daniel cormier fight record, you aren't just looking at wins and losses. You’re looking at one of the most absurdly high-level runs in the history of the UFC.
Honestly, people fixate on the Jon Jones rivalry or the Stipe Miocic trilogy. Those are big, sure. But the real story is how a guy who spent his life grinding on wrestling mats turned into a knockout artist who could also choke out elite heavyweights.
He finished with a professional record of 22 wins, 3 losses, and 1 no-contest. That sounds great, but the nuance is in who those fights were against. He didn't pad his stats. He spent nearly his entire career fighting the scariest humans on the planet.
Breaking down the daniel cormier fight record
If you just glance at the numbers, you see 22-3.
But check this out: DC won titles in two different weight classes. He was the "Champ-Champ" before that became a trendy marketing term. He actually defended both belts, too, which is something even Conor McGregor didn't do.
His wins are a mix of pure dominance and gritty survival.
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- 10 wins by KO/TKO
- 5 wins by submission
- 7 wins by decision
Most of those knockouts came because people underestimated his power. They saw the "dad bod" and thought he was just a wrestler. Then he’d hit them with a right hand that felt like a falling piano. Just ask Stipe Miocic about that first fight at UFC 226. One short hook in the clinch and the greatest heavyweight ever was looking at the lights.
The Strikeforce Cinderella story
Before the UFC, there was Strikeforce. This is where the daniel cormier fight record really started to get weird. DC wasn't even supposed to be in the Heavyweight Grand Prix. He was an alternate.
When Alistair Overeem fell out, DC stepped in. He had to face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, who had just decimated Fedor Emelianenko.
DC didn't just win; he broke Silva’s jaw and knocked him cold. Then he went on to face Josh Barnett in the finals. Barnett was a catch-wrestling wizard with way more experience. Cormier spent five rounds tossing him around like a ragdoll. That 2012 victory proved DC wasn't a prospect anymore. He was a problem.
The Jon Jones "Black Cloud"
You can't talk about DC’s record without talking about "Bones." It’s the asterisk that follows him everywhere.
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The first fight at UFC 182 was a grinding, miserable affair. Jones won a unanimous decision, handed DC his first loss, and even out-wrestled the Olympian at times. It crushed Cormier.
Then came the rematch at UFC 214. DC was winning. He really was. He looked sharper, he was landing. Then, a head kick from nowhere changed everything.
But wait—the record shows a "No Contest." Why? Because Jones tested positive for Turinabol. While the record books don't count it as a loss for DC, the memory of that night still stings for fans. It's the ultimate "what if" of his career.
The heavyweight resurgence and Stipe trilogy
After the light heavyweight drama, DC went back up to his natural home at heavyweight. He choked out Volkan Oezdemir, then moved up to face Miocic.
That trilogy defines the end of his career.
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- UFC 226: DC KOs Stipe in the first round.
- UFC 241: Stipe adjusts, hammers DC’s body, and gets a TKO in the fourth.
- UFC 252: A five-round war where Stipe wins a close decision.
The last fight was a bit sad to watch. DC suffered a nasty eye poke that he said left him unable to see out of one eye for most of the fight. He retired right there in the cage. No fans in the building because of the pandemic. Just a legend saying he was done.
Why his record is better than it looks
Look at the names he beat. Dan Henderson. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (twice!). Alexander Gustafsson. Anderson Silva. Frank Mir. Roy Nelson.
He fought "Rumble" Johnson when Rumble was a human wrecking ball. Most guys were terrified of that man's power. DC just took the shots, weathered the storm, and made him quit. Twice.
He even fought Anderson Silva on two days' notice at UFC 200 after Jones got pulled for a drug test. DC did what he had to do—he used his wrestling to neutralize the greatest striker ever. Fans booed, but DC won. That's the story of his career: doing whatever it takes to get the hand raised.
Taking action on DC's career insights
If you're looking to truly understand the impact of the daniel cormier fight record, don't just look at the Wiki page.
- Watch the Barnett fight: It shows his peak athletic movement.
- Study the first Miocic fight: Watch how he used the "mummy guard" to trap Stipe’s hands.
- Listen to his commentary: It gives you a glimpse into his high fight IQ.
DC proved that being an elite athlete isn't about looking like a bodybuilder. It's about transition. He transitioned from the Olympic mats to the cage better than almost anyone in history. His record isn't perfect, but in a sport as chaotic as MMA, 22-3 against that level of competition is about as close to perfect as you'll ever find.
To get a full sense of his technical evolution, compare his early Strikeforce bouts with his title defense against Alexander Gustafsson; the difference in his striking pocket awareness is staggering. You’ll see a wrestler who became a complete martial artist. This legacy is why he walked straight into the Hall of Fame.