Club Shay Shay – Daniel Cormier (Part 1)

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Daniel Cormier (DC)
Date: August 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe sits down with MMA legend Daniel Cormier for a candid, intimate, and often humorous conversation. They explore DC’s rise from humble beginnings in Louisiana to becoming a double champion in the UFC, the challenges and intricacies of combat sports, rivalries—especially with Jon Jones—life after fighting, and broader reflections on greatness, legacy, and family. This first part digs into Cormier’s journey, the physical and mental demands of MMA, thoughts on longevity in sports, and much more.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Daniel Cormier’s Early Life and Path to MMA

Timestamp: 04:13 – 07:01

• Humble Origins:
  • Cormier expresses disbelief at his own journey from Lafayette, Louisiana, failing off the wrestling team and going to summer school, to achieving so much in combat sports and media.

    “I grew up in Louisiana, I never could have imagined, really, his life, I swear to God, I never could have imagined.” — Daniel Cormier (04:13)

• Transition to Wrestling, Then MMA:
  • Wrestling became a path out:

    “I started getting better at wrestling. And then I realized, like, wait, this wrestling can take me somewhere.” — Daniel Cormier (05:54)

  • Media career was unexpected; neither he nor Shannon went to college for media, echoing that “the best people in media didn’t.”

    “Normally the best people that are in media didn’t go to college for media… it really helps if you played that sport.” — Shannon Sharpe (06:18)

2. Late Start, Longevity, and Evolution in MMA

Timestamp: 07:01 – 17:36

• Starting MMA at 31:
  • DC credits his wrestling background for a head start, joining AKA in San Jose to train with Cain Velasquez.

    “I walked into that gym at 30 and a half...my background in wrestling, it gave me, like, a massive head start.” — Daniel Cormier (07:18)

• On Being Multifaceted:
  • One-dimensional fighters have little hope today; need to be well-rounded (striking, grappling, etc.).

    “If you’re one-dimensional, you’re going to have a very short shelf life in that sport.” — Shannon Sharpe (08:04)

• Athlete Longevity:
  • Improved recovery methods are extending athletes’ careers in all sports (mentions LeBron, Brady).

    “Because of the access to…recovery. I think athletes are smarter today… they’re not rejecting the body anymore.” — Daniel Cormier (11:13)

  • On aging:

    “When you’re young, you feel invincible… As you start to get age, you’re like, I’m not as quick as I once was.” — Shannon Sharpe (12:13)

3. Physical Toll, Injuries, and Knowing When to Retire

Timestamp: 12:55 – 17:36

• The Impact of Injuries:
  • DC recalls being knocked out by Jon Jones, subsequent memory loss, and a fight-ending sneeze that threw out his back:

    “This is the craziest shit ever. …I sneeze, bro. When I sneeze, threw my back out...A sneeze essentially ended my career.” — Daniel Cormier (13:00–14:48)

  • Describes fighting exhausted, “monkey jumped on my back”:

    “By the third round, the monkey jumped on my back. I was like, yo, I am exhausted. I’d never felt it before.” — Daniel Cormier (17:17)

  • On the fear and danger of fighting:

    “If that referee don’t take him off you, he will keep beating you up.” — Daniel Cormier (17:48)

4. Mindset, Rituals, and The Fighter’s Experience

Timestamp: 18:11 – 27:38

• Coping with Pressure:
  • DC’s pre-fight ritual: sleeping in the locker room, finding calm through preparation.

    “I’d go to sleep. People would look at me like, how can you sleep knowing that in three hours you’re gonna go Fight for a world championship, right? But I knew that my preparation, I’d left…no stone unturned.” — Daniel Cormier (19:21)

  • The walkout and octagon rituals:

    “I would always tap the octagon … I’d say to myself…somebody gotta die in this. It ain’t gonna be me.” — Daniel Cormier (25:10)

• Cutting Weight:
  • How extreme weight cuts were, sharing a story of weighing 257 lbs before cutting to 205:

    “I weighed 257, bro. And you gotta be 205 in January. January 19th, I weighed in at 204.7.” — Daniel Cormier (26:22–26:27)

5. On Rivalries: Jon Jones, Talent, and Controversies

Timestamp: 27:49 – 37:23

• Jones’ Unique Advantages:
  • Massive reach, height, natural athleticism; DC says he would have beaten anyone else at his best, but not Jon:

    “I’d never been better. I would have beat everybody else in the world… I was never better than that night. And he beat me.” — Daniel Cormier (28:44) “He’s by far the most talented person that we’ve had in mixed martial arts… He’s the most talented guy we’ve ever had.” — Daniel Cormier (37:31)

• Steroid Allegations:
  • DC is adamant Jones can’t be GOAT due to PED connections:

    “I don’t believe that. I don’t believe that he should be considered the greatest of all time. I’ve said that. You can’t…steroids in fighting is much different...” — Daniel Cormier (34:29)

• First Press Conference Brawl:
  • Their physical altercation brought huge media attention; their rivalry elevated both careers:

    “We did great business, and we did elevate each other to the point that when I fought Stipe, I was able to elevate him.” — Daniel Cormier (34:15)

• Pain after Jones’ failed test:

  “Heartbroken. Heartbroken. It’s like losing your first girlfriend.” — Daniel Cormier (40:01)

6. Legacy, Mount Rushmore, and the Steroid Debate

Timestamp: 37:31 – 54:07

• DC’s MMA Mount Rushmore (excluding fighters with PED infractions):

  “Demetrius Johnson. Okay. George St. Pierre. Khabib. Khabib was undefeated. Nobody beat him. Fourth…that’s where it gets tough...But I can’t put Anderson. Like, I would like to put Anderson. If I’m saying all those guys included, then obviously John and Anderson are on that Mount Rushmore. But I don’t do that. I don’t. I refuse to. It’s not in fighting.” — Daniel Cormier (52:43–53:34)

• Amanda Nunes, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture: All mentioned for consideration.
• Women in MMA and Ronda Rousey’s Impact:

  “Dana…said, I will never have women fighting in the UFC or something very close to that. Then Ronda came along, and she just opened up the floodgates…That’s how important she is.” — Daniel Cormier (54:14)

• Ronda was ahead of her time but couldn’t keep up as the sport evolved.

7. Big Fights and the UFC’s Growth

Timestamp: 54:54 – 56:49

• Speculation about UFC at the White House

  “If Dana say they gonna have a fight on the moon…I don’t know what airline flying to the moon, but it’s gonna happen.” — Shannon Sharpe (55:34)

8. The Challenges of Life After Competition

Timestamp: 27:00 – 32:00, 60:54–62:02

• Losing the “high” of competition, camaraderie, and the physical toll makes retirement difficult for athletes.

  “That’s why athletes struggle once they leave the said sport… you’re never going to be able to replicate…just the camaraderie.” — Shannon Sharpe (27:20)

9. Reflections on Current and Upcoming Fighters

Timestamp: 46:59 – 53:36, 62:55–64:38

• DC critiques Jon Jones for not fighting Tom Aspinall yet; heaps praise on Aspinall’s skills.
• Not interested in a comeback, even for $20 million:

  “I’m still not doing it… I can’t fight because I can’t. I was sparring one of them punched me in my rib with a straight right hand…every time I squeeze, my core hurts, man. I couldn’t do this every day like I used to.” — Daniel Cormier (59:43–60:54)

• Skeptical about Conor McGregor returning successfully:

  “It’s over for him. …He made way too much [money].” — Daniel Cormier (62:02)

10. Cultural Differences, Legacy, and Upbringing

Timestamp: 69:13 – 79:46

• DC and Shannon discuss how upbringing (struggle, comfort) impacts drive; the hunger from places like Dagestan.
• Hard to inherit toughness and hunger when kids grow up in privileged settings.

  “For my son, right, to have the mentality that I have or had, it’s impossible. His life’s too comfortable.” — Daniel Cormier (70:08)

11. Relationship with Khabib & Respect for Russian Fighters

Timestamp: 77:07 – 79:40

• DC shares the story of meeting Khabib and their enduring friendship:

  “That’s my boy right there, man. He walked into the gym by himself…he’s a good person. Real strong values, and he’s the best. I think he’s the best fighter ever.” — Daniel Cormier (77:07)

• Discusses Khabib’s dominance, his values, and his refusal to shake hands with women out of respect.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Somebody gotta die in this. It ain’t gonna be me.” — Daniel Cormier on his fight mentality (25:10)
• “I can explain something in real fine detail. Because there’s no position. I haven’t experienced the good and the bad in my career.” — Daniel Cormier (06:48)
• “A sneeze essentially ended my career.” — Daniel Cormier (14:48)
• “You can’t chant steroids. In fighting, it’s much different than anything else in the world.” — Daniel Cormier (34:29)
• “I would never put myself [on my own Mount Rushmore], but I’m like, right in that four to seven range.” — Daniel Cormier (53:34)
• “For my son…to have the mentality that I have or had, it’s impossible. His life’s too comfortable.” — Daniel Cormier (70:08)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | DC’s early life and sports trajectory | 04:13–07:01 | | Late entry into MMA, training at AKA | 07:01–08:29 | | Longevity in sports and recovery methods | 10:57–13:14 | | Injuries and aging in MMA, Jon Jones KO | 13:01–14:48 | | The pressure, mindset, and rituals of fighting | 18:11–25:47 | | Weight cuts and power dynamics | 25:47–27:56 | | Rivalry and analysis of Jon Jones | 27:49–34:15 | | PED controversy & legacy debate | 34:16–37:23 | | Mount Rushmore and Ronda Rousey’s impact | 52:43–54:54 | | Life after fighting, refuting comeback rumors | 59:36–62:02 | | Khabib relationship & values, Russian fighter mentality | 77:07–80:24 |

Memorable Excerpts

On Aging and Recovery:

“The body just doesn’t recover…The ability to bounce back, I mean, an injury that would keep you down a day all of a sudden is two, three days, or maybe it’s a week.” — Shannon Sharpe (15:48)

On Weight Cutting:

“The next day. I weighed 257 pounds. And you gotta be 205 in January.” — Daniel Cormier (26:22)

On Fighting Anderson Silva on Short Notice:

“I took the fight because I wanted to fight bad. When you want to fight, you want the check, but you want to fight.” — Daniel Cormier (46:48)

On Jon Jones’ GOAT status and Steroids:

“He’s the greatest talent…the sport has ever seen…but I…agree with DJ…you just can’t have that tied to your name, especially in fighting.” — Daniel Cormier (37:09)

Episode Tone & Style

• The episode is unfiltered, reflective, and full of energy.
• Cormier mixes humor, humility, and candor, unafraid to speak on his vulnerabilities.
• Shannon Sharpe is inquisitive, sometimes playful, always respectful—drawing out in-depth responses and relatable anecdotes.
• The conversation seamlessly weaves through personal history, technical fight analysis, cultural commentary, and broader observations about family, success, pain, and growth.

For Next Episode

This episode ends with a tease for “Part Two,” promising more discussion between Shannon and Daniel, available on the same podcast feed.

This summary captures the heart, humor, and substance of Daniel Cormier’s first appearance on Club Shay Shay—an episode rich with stories, insights, and reflections on fighting and life.