Club Shay Shay – Daniel Cormier Part 2

Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Shannon Sharpe | Guest: Daniel Cormier

Episode Overview

In this engaging and candid episode, Shannon Sharpe sits down for a second round of deep conversation with former UFC champion and Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier. Moving beyond fighting, the discussion touches on career-defining choices, the realities of fame and money, personal losses, parenting, and the lessons learned on and off the mat. The episode is imbued throughout with both humor and vulnerability, as Cormier shares stories about rivalries, family, adversity, and the drive required to be great.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The State of MMA Superstars: Conor McGregor & Francis Ngannou

• Cormier on Conor’s Motivation

  • "He's worth $300 million… there's no need [to fight]. He doesn't need this anymore." (02:37)
  • Quotes Marvin Hagler: "It's hard to get up in the morning when you're sleeping on satin sheets." (03:01)

• Reflecting on Francis Ngannou’s Career

  • Both wish they had seen Ngannou vs Jon Jones, but Cormier thinks Jones would likely win the wrestling exchanges. (04:10)
  • Cormier marvels at Ngannou's punching power:
    "I've never seen anybody hit harder than Francis... He hit Alistair Overeem in his head. The back of his head touched between his shoulders." (04:45)
  • Discusses Ngannou’s boxing ventures – surprising success, but the clear skill gap with elite boxers (Joshua/ Fury). (05:51–06:15)

The Differences Between Boxing and MMA

• Respect for Boxers
  • "A boxer throwing a punch in the MMA… they know how to punch… and they sit on everything." (06:28)
  • Cormier humbly recounts, "I went and trained one time in Oakland… getting my ass whooped… there’s nothing you could do." (06:39)

The Brock Lesnar “Almost-Fight”

• Why the Lesnar Fight Never Happened
  • WWE lured Lesnar back with big pay, ending prospects for the superfight:
    "That was my golden goose, man... I was beating Brock Lesnar. One of the safest fights I could have had." (07:02)
  • Insights into how Lesnar struggles with getting hit and Cormier’s confidence wrestling with him. (07:24–07:43)

From Football Offers to MMA & Early Life

• Turning Down LSU Football for Wrestling
  • Cormier was “Mr. Everything” in Louisiana high school football but ultimately chose wrestling due to size concerns and academic challenges. (08:14–09:12)
• On Herschel Walker’s Foray into MMA
  • Walker’s legendary physicality and intensity:
    "He would eat one time a day, bro... When this man would hit you, sometime he shock you.... Herschel Walker is a different individual." (10:10–11:47)
  • Describes Walker’s transformation before a fight:
    "Something flipped on him… talking about, 'I'm gonna kill this mother…’ Herschel was on a whole nother level." (11:32)

Cormier on WWE and the Physical Toll of Combat Sports

• Why He Didn’t Become a Pro Wrestler
  • "People talk about that stuff being fake… it's scripted... but it ain’t fake. It hurts." (12:15–12:25)
  • Shares how wrestlers and MMA fighters both pay a heavy price in physical wear and tear—but feels fortunate to have left in relatively good shape. (12:42)

Inside the Octagon: Dirty Tricks and Notable Opponents

• On Derrick Lewis, the Knockout King

  • "He got more knockouts than anybody in the history of UFC… He knows exactly... who he’s knocking out."
  • Recalling Lewis' humor: "Who do you want to fight next? He looks at his wife like, 'Going to be a lot of ground and pound going.'" (13:57–14:01)

• Hardest Punches Taken

  • "Dan Henderson, that little dude... he was made of concrete. He knocked out one of my bottom teeth..." (15:03–15:22)

• Tricks of the Trade

  • Admits to covering opponents' mouths to smother them, and describes fighting Josh Barnett:
    "He was elbowing me... bloodied, my eye was open… The moment I saw my mama, I started crying like a baby, man. I fell down…" (15:55–17:36)

What It Feels Like: Knockouts & Losses

• Cormier and Sharpe Compare KO Stories

  • Sharpe: "I've been knocked out... I can't remember anything. I just remember looking up at the scoreboard and asking my teammate…" (17:58–18:25)
  • Cormier: "I get knocked out, right? ... Rogan interviews me... I ask, ‘what happened,’ he tells me, I break down crying... He told me I did that seven times. Each time, same reaction, like it was the first time I heard that.” (19:06–19:24)

• Jon Jones Rivalry and the Fateful Head Kick

  • Describes how Jones set up the knockout:
    "He kept body kicking me… then gave me one that looked like the body and went high… I did the chicken dance... he kicks my leg out from under me... Then he jumped on me and started finishing." (20:19–25:35)

Reflections on Fighters' Pay & Life After the Cage

• Boxing vs. UFC Payout Realities
  • Only top champions see millions; most struggle.
    "There's only a select few people that make the big money in the UFC... champions make money." (34:22–34:35)
  • Cormier shares stories of receiving million-dollar discretionary bonuses—underscoring how champions are taken care of:
    "When I fought Jon Jones, my contract was $85,000… Dana called me and goes, ’You did a great job. We’re going to send you a check for a million dollars.’" (34:58)
• Negotiating with Dana White
  • Positive personal experiences, but acknowledges business is business (36:32–37:45)
  • Would love the opportunity to run the UFC in the future but can't imagine it without Dana. (38:15–38:47)

Life, Loss, and Family: Cormier Gets Personal

• What Money Teaches You

  • "Money’s hard to keep. You pay a lot of taxes… You’re going to be exactly who you always were. If someone’s ugly with money, they were always ugly. It just gives you freedom." (45:30–46:21)
  • Deep pride in buying his mom a house and returning kindness to her:
    "That's one of my greatest accomplishments… She was a house cleaner, and I made sure she had house cleaners when she was older." (46:40–47:18)

• On Love, Relationships, and Fatherhood

  • Cormier admits the difficulties of balancing greatness and relationships, emphasizing selfishness is a part of athletic achievement. (47:50–49:27)
  • Tribute to his stepfather:
    "He taught me to work… I learned to work. It has defined my life." (52:42–54:46)
  • Aims to be as present and hardworking for his own children as his stepfather was for him. (54:50–55:34)

• Losing His Daughter and Coping with Grief

  • Cormier recounts his daughter’s tragic death at three months old in a car accident:
    "That was the worst thing that's ever happened... I try not to let things define me, but that's the one..." (55:36–57:27)
  • How trauma changed his approach to fatherhood, sometimes making him overprotective:
    "You have to consciously try not to be as much of a helicopter parent." (58:04)
  • On losing loved ones:
    "You never get over it. You just get better at dealing with it." (59:36–61:02)

The Real Toll: Weight Cuts & Physicality

• On Cutting Weight:

  • "Money can buy resources… but cutting that kind of water weight is taxing. I went into renal failure at the Olympics." (61:22–62:19)
  • At times, cut 26 pounds in a week; recalls once gaining 26 back overnight (205 to 231).
    "I gained 26 pounds overnight. That's too much. I felt so sluggish and horrible." (68:00)

• Wrestling Style & Short Stature as an Advantage

  • “If I could get close, you're in trouble. I'm sticky – like, you stuck in the fly trap." (68:58)

Upbringing, Bullies, and Street Scraps

• Bullied as a Child

  • Wrestling taught him confidence and self-defense.
    "Wrestling is so important for kids... Six months later, they're walking in with some ‘oomph’... wrestling gives you that." (72:43–73:40)

• Fights and Arrest Story

  • Recounts his only arrest for breaking someone’s jaw in college, and how his mother put up the house for bail:
    _"I was crying. My mom actually... to get me out of jail, she put her house on the line as counter for the bail." (74:13–75:21)

• Failed Drug Dealing Attempt

  • Details a comical childhood story of trying (and failing) to fake crack sales:
    "I was a bad drug dealer... We made fake drugs, took some wax, put oral gel on it… he ate the crack, now he's out of this." (75:53–76:57)

The Essence of Fighting & MMA vs. Boxing

• Could a Boxer Beat an MMA Fighter in Street Fight?

  • "No. They'd get taken down. It would happen too fast… The baddest man on the planet is a mixed martial arts fighter." (77:09–77:48)

• Future Aspirations

  • "In five, ten years? Probably doing the same thing. I love my job... Podcasting, television. I just might be living wherever my kids go to college." (78:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cormier on Conor McGregor’s Motivation:
  "He can't walk into any room without everybody knowing who he is. So the access he has, how's he going to look past all of that to go to a training camp to fight?" [03:43]
• On the Physical Toll of WWE:
  "People talk about that stuff being fake...but it ain’t fake. It hurts." [12:25]
• On Getting Knocked Out by Jon Jones:
  "Rogan interviews me... I ask, 'what happened.' He tells me I break down crying… He told me I did that seven times. Each time, same reaction, like it was the first time I heard that." [19:09–19:24]
• On Dirty Tricks in MMA:
  "I would always cover their mouth...try to smother them..." [15:48]
• On Loss and Life:
  "You never get over it. You just get better at dealing with it." [59:36] — Shannon Sharpe
• On Money:
  "Money gives you the ability... to be exactly who you always wanted to be." [45:30]
• On Being Great:
  "Part of being great is being selfish...that's the only way you can become great." [48:09–49:27]
• On the Future:
  "Probably doing the same thing… I love calling fights… I think I have the best job in the world." [78:11]
• Cormier’s Advice to Young Fighters:
  "If you can't wrestle, like, I was fighting you." [14:33]
  "That's one thing I learned fighting the heavier guys. They don't balance well on their feet. So I would just kind of move them around until they fell down." [14:52]

Standout Timestamps for Reference

• Conor McGregor & Motivation: 02:37–03:56
• Francis Ngannou & Jon Jones: 04:07–05:51
• Brock Lesnar Fight Fallout: 07:00–07:53
• Herschel Walker in MMA: 09:18–11:47
• Derrick Lewis & Knockout Anecdotes: 13:02–15:03
• Knockout Experiences/Memory Loss: 17:58–20:15
• Pay in UFC vs. Boxing: 34:22–36:12
• Losing His Daughter: 55:36–57:27
• Dealing with Trauma/Loss: 59:36–61:02
• Weight Cutting Stories: 61:22–68:13
• Funny Failed Drug Dealing Story: 75:53–76:57
• The Baddest Man on the Planet: 77:09–77:48
• Cormier on Future: 78:11

Tone and Closing

Cormier’s storytelling is disarmingly honest: humble, humorous, and raw. Both he and Sharpe move seamlessly from laughter to moments of vulnerability—reflecting on pain, family, and the pursuit of greatness. The episode offers a layered portrait of Daniel Cormier, both the fierce competitor and the grateful son, father, and mentor.