Daniel Cormier said so much in the immediate aftermath of his UFC 252 loss this past Saturday, but now it sounds like he has officially closed the book on fighting again.
Cormier (22-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) said in the build-up to his trilogy rematch with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (20-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) that winning or losing, the fight would probably be his last, and on Monday, he posted a statement on Instagram in the sense that he was retiring.
Cormier made a unanimous decision to Miocic in the UFC 252 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The fight, however, was not without a bit of controversy. Cormier accidentally grabs Miocic in the eye early in the fight. And in the third round, Miocic beat Cormier with an accidental eye poke that referee Marc Goddard missed. Cormier later said he was without any vision in his left eye.
Goddard eventually apologized online for missing the poke, but only saw it later on in a replay. And UFC president Dana White waited in line to say he did not think Cormier could use the poke as an excuse for the loss. Cormier apparently suffered from a torn cornea, but will not need surgery.
Cormier leaves MMA as a rare two-division UFC champion. He won the lightweight heavyweight title, then knocked out Miocic to win the heavyweight title in their first meeting. He then dropped the 205-pound belt to focus on heavyweight.
After Miocic Cormier stopped in 2019 to win the belt back, it set up the trilogy rematch for this past Saturday.
Cormier leaves competitive MMA still best known for his fierce rivalry with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones has a win over Cormier and another that was reversed when he tested positive for banned substances.
On his
Thank you all very much for the love and support. Not what I wanted or expected, but it’s what it is. Congrats to @stipemiocic on a fantastic fight, it was an honor and pleasure to share the octagon with you for 50 minutes. Guys, we gave a show every time. To my team: I love you all until death, you have made so many sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. Salina and the kids: thank you for being my motivation. To all fans: I love you so much. You guys are pushing me to try great. To @danawhite and the @ufc: I love every minute. Thanks for giving me the chance. Been a helluva ride, huh?
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