OSU Wrestling: Daniel Cormier Inducted into Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

Daniel Cormier will be part of another Hall of Fame.

A Lafayette, Louisiana native, Cormier this weekend will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He is also already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame and Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Cormier made his mark early in the Louisiana sports world, even before getting to Oklahoma State. He was a three-time state champion for Northside High School, then went to Colby Community College, where he won a pair of NJCAA titles and was 61-0.

Once at OSU, Cormier immediately cracked the starting lineup at 184 pounds in 2000 and 2001. He was 52-10 as a Cowboy, qualifying for the NCAA Wrestling Championships both seasons. Cormier was an NCAA runner-up in 2001, losing to Cael Sanderson in the finals. He also lost to Sanderson twice in the Big 12 finals. Of Cormier’s 10 collegiate losses, six were to Sanderson.

Cormier achieved most of his success after leaving Stillwater, first on the international wrestling circuit. He qualified for the Olympics as a member of Team USA in 2004 and 2008, placing fourth at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Cormier didn’t get to compete in 2008 after having to drop out of the tournament because of illness. He also earned a bronze medal at 96 kilograms at the World Championships in 2007.

Cormier started his mixed martial arts career in 2009 with Strikeforce, becoming the King of the Cage heavyweight champion and winning the 2012 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. He then joined the UFC and became the second fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two weight divisions at the same time as the champion at light heavyweight and heavyweight. He was the first to have title defenses in two divisions. Cormier was 22-3 in his MMA career.

The 2024 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class features eight other inductees, including former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.