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For now, that appears to be the end of the line for Daniel Cormier.
On Monday, the former UFC two-division champion released his first statement since Saturday’s unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 252. The fight marked the conclusion of a trilogy heavyweight championship between the two rivals and was billed as the final. bout of Cormier’s 11-year MMA career.
Immediately after the fight, Cormier, 41, reiterated that he did not plan to compete again unless it was for a world title and because he did not expect such an opportunity to come. reproduce, that “that will be all for me”.
Monday’s statement does not include Cormier using the word “retire” in any form, but it looks like he is ending his competitive career.
“Thank you all for your love and support,” Cormier wrote. “It’s not what I wanted or expected, but it is. Congratulation to [Stipe Miocic] on a fantastic fight it was an honor and a pleasure to share the octagon with you for 50 minutes. We gave them a show every time.
Cormier went on to thank his team, family and fans, as well as Dana White and the UFC before concluding on a thoughtful note.
“I loved every minute,” Cormier wrote. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. You had a hell of a ride, eh?
If Cormier stuck to his plan to stop competing, he ended his MMA career with a 22-3 (1 NC) record, including an 11-3 (1 NC) score in the UFC. He has won and successfully defended the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight titles, and holds victories over Miocic, Derrick Lewis, Anthony Johnson, Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Frank Mir and many other notable names. His light heavyweight rivalry with Jon Jones will go down as one of the most memorable in the history of the sport.
Prior to entering MMA, Cormier was a decorated amateur wrestler, earning Division-I All-American status at Oklahoma State and qualifying twice for the Olympics.
Read Cormier’s full, unedited statement below:
Thanks everyone for the love and support. Not what I wanted or expected but it is. Kudos to @stipemiocic on a fantastic fight, it was an honor and pleasure to share the octagon with you for 50 minutes. We gave them a show every time. To my team: I love you all to death, you have made so many sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. Salina and the children: thank you for being my motivation. To all the fans: I love you so much. You make me try to be awesome. To @danawhite and @ufc: loved every minute of it. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. You had a hell of a ride, eh?
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