Daniel Cormier
At just seven years old, UFC legend Daniel Cormier’s father was murdered. An argument at a family gathering got out of hand. It led to him being shot dead by his second wife’s dad.
At the age of 23, another devastating tragedy befell Cormier when his three-month-old daughter, Kaeyden was killed in a car wreck. The distraught DC had been preparing for Olympic wrestling trials at the time. He became a recluse afterward and missed the trials. Thankful;y, he was handed a lifeline that would lead to him qualifying for the Olympics.
Cormier came in fourth in the 2004 Olympic games. In 2008, he captained the Olympic wrestling team. But he suffered more adversity. He went through kidney failure during a weight cut and had to withdraw from the games.
It’s a testament to Cormier’s character that he continued to battle on. He turned to MMA. He was completely broke during his early run in Strikeforce. But he became their heavyweight tournament champion as an alternate. Cormier then achieved fame and fortune as a two-weight champion in the UFC. He’s also one of the promotion’s main color-commentators.
