Daniel Cormier established a notable career as a UFC light heavyweight titleholder, and a past adversary believes he would still flourish within the current group of 205-pounders if he were still actively competing today. That particular combatant was Josh Barnett, who shared the ring with Cormier more than a decade ago.
This viewpoint from Barnett was triggered by a retweet, and the X conversation initiated with @RedCorner_MMA. The footage originated from a video produced by the UFC, and the digital content creation team were experimenting with a Tik Tok trend where individuals inquire if someone wishes they were athletic for the purpose of playfully irritating that person for their own amusement.
X users RedCorner_MMA shared the footage and stated,
“They asked DC if he ever wished he were athletic. “That’s so disrespectful. In my prime, I could pass some of my athletic ability to more people on the UFC roster.””
This was retweeted by X account @acdmma_ with that subsequent post declaring,
“it’s wild that there’s new MMA fans that only recognize him from the commentary booth. There’s not a single UFC light heavyweight on the UFC roster that defeats prime DC”
Barnett then joined the discussion on his own X account as he retweeted @acdmma_ and remarked,
“Agreed. At 205, DC dominates the existing division.”
Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett, and the evening they engaged in combat
Daniel Cormier shared the ring with Josh Barnett a considerable number of years ago, and it represented a significant juncture in the history of Strikeforce. The date was May 19th, 2012, with Cormier and Barnett both participating in the finals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix. Both athletes overcame some of the most skilled heavyweight mixed martial artists in the sport at that time and emerged from their respective sides of the bracket with only one destined to emerge victorious in the end.
It was a remarkably impressive showing for the Olympic wrestler, with Cormier improving his overall professional MMA record to 10-0 with the definitive win over Barnett. This was the most significant achievement in DC’s career that he had obtained up to that point in his developing MMA journey. The former UFC heavyweight titleholder Barnett had already participated in well over thirty professional MMA fights prior to clashing with Cormier on that evening.
Cormier would then secure the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix title and proceeded to compete once more under that promotional organization before transitioning to the UFC and embarking on his highly acclaimed path with the Ultimate Fighting Championship that led him to become a two-division champion, where he remains a prominent commentator/ analyst to this day.
