- Joined
- Apr 12, 2010
- Messages
- 10,535
- Reaction score
- 19
Lets just get this out of the way, the Jon Jones saga has left a permanent dark cloud over Cormier's legacy, I don't think anyone has had such a massive proverbial monkey on their back as Cormier does with Jones. He'll never shake it unless he beats him convincingly and at this moment there really isn't any reason to believe that's going to happen.
And that cloud is what masks appreciating Cormier for what he is, and that's one of the most successful fighters in UFC history and MMA, an excellent ambassador for the sport, and a man who's battled through a ton of adversity to continue persevering to the top.
He's 37 years old, and he's been a combat athlete since high school. He lost an NCAA championship to the greatest wrestler of all time Cael Sanderson (his original Jon Jones) back in 2001. Narrowly missed out on Bronze at the 2004 Olympics and then damn near killed himself cutting weight in the 2008 Olympics.
I remember watching him fight Tony Johnson for the KOTC championship in his 4th fight, and his pedigree alone won that fight. When he got called in as an Alternate in the famed Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament he was an after thought, and then he mauled Bigfoot and Josh Barnett en route to a title tailored for Fedor to win.
He finished undefeated as a HW with further wins over Frank Mir and Roy Nelson and has added wins over Hendo, Anderson Silva, Anthony Johnson, and Gustaffson. That's one hell of a resume for a guy who is a converted wrestler that didn't have his first pro MMA match until he was 30 years old.
He dispatched of a game Volkan this weekend with ease, and he's doing all this as a 5'10 dad bod middle aged man. I met Comier and he seriously seems like a common guy to shoot the shit with at a backyard BBQ.
He's always an excellent interview, gracious and respectful in victory and defeat and he lays it on the line. I hope Cormier seizes the opportunity in front of him and moves up to take on Stipe. There's nothing at LHW that does anything for him legacy wise other than a trilogy fight with Jones... and Stipe similarly doesn't have a clear cut challenger.
He may never get the credit he deserves but if you take a minute to appreciate what he's accomplished he's unquestionably one of the greatest ever.
And that cloud is what masks appreciating Cormier for what he is, and that's one of the most successful fighters in UFC history and MMA, an excellent ambassador for the sport, and a man who's battled through a ton of adversity to continue persevering to the top.
He's 37 years old, and he's been a combat athlete since high school. He lost an NCAA championship to the greatest wrestler of all time Cael Sanderson (his original Jon Jones) back in 2001. Narrowly missed out on Bronze at the 2004 Olympics and then damn near killed himself cutting weight in the 2008 Olympics.
I remember watching him fight Tony Johnson for the KOTC championship in his 4th fight, and his pedigree alone won that fight. When he got called in as an Alternate in the famed Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament he was an after thought, and then he mauled Bigfoot and Josh Barnett en route to a title tailored for Fedor to win.
He finished undefeated as a HW with further wins over Frank Mir and Roy Nelson and has added wins over Hendo, Anderson Silva, Anthony Johnson, and Gustaffson. That's one hell of a resume for a guy who is a converted wrestler that didn't have his first pro MMA match until he was 30 years old.
He dispatched of a game Volkan this weekend with ease, and he's doing all this as a 5'10 dad bod middle aged man. I met Comier and he seriously seems like a common guy to shoot the shit with at a backyard BBQ.
He's always an excellent interview, gracious and respectful in victory and defeat and he lays it on the line. I hope Cormier seizes the opportunity in front of him and moves up to take on Stipe. There's nothing at LHW that does anything for him legacy wise other than a trilogy fight with Jones... and Stipe similarly doesn't have a clear cut challenger.
He may never get the credit he deserves but if you take a minute to appreciate what he's accomplished he's unquestionably one of the greatest ever.
