Daniel Cormier, a relatively short Heavyweight, has met success against bigger opponents in freestyle wrestling and later in Mixed Martial Arts. Cormier was raised in Lafayette, Louisiana where he was raised by his mother and stepfather. Cormier became a pro wrestling fan by age 10, which he watched on TV often. When he was 11, a coach introduced him to wrestling after breaking up a parking lot fight with him and a friend. He attended Louisiana High School where he won his first medals, thrice winning a Division I All-American and State championships. Cormier also played the linebacker position in football, and was offered a scholarship to play at Louisiana State University. He chose wrestling instead, and in 1997 he went to Colby Junior College in Kansas where he attended for two years, then transferred to Oklahoma State University .
2004 U.S. National Champion in freestyle wrestling (96kg).
I was into basketball, but then once I found contact sports, it was over. I never played basketball again in my life.
