Daniel Cormier gave joining WWE some serious thought after his fighting career—but in the end, one thing convinced him it wasn’t the right move.
Speaking on Club Shay Shay, the former two-division UFC champion admitted that stepping into professional wrestling was something he considered after freestyle wrestling. The idea was there, but the more he thought about what WWE Superstars put their bodies through every week, the more he realized it wasn’t a path he wanted to take.
Cormier said many people still dismiss professional wrestling as “fake,” but after seeing what wrestlers endure, he has a completely different level of respect for the industry.
“I thought about it right after I was done wrestling, but then it’s hard. People talk about that stuff being fake. Hey, man, it’s scripted—it ain’t fake. It hurts.”
He explained that even the routine parts of a wrestling match take a physical toll that fans often don’t appreciate.
“You’ve got to throw your arms back every time. It’s like slapping against the ring, or when you run the ropes, those ropes burn you. It’s hard, man.”
According to Cormier, that’s exactly why so many wrestlers end up paying a price long after their careers are over. He pointed to the wear and tear on their bodies, saying years of taking bumps eventually catch up with almost everyone.
“That’s why you see them all break down like that. They’re all messed up. Their knees don’t work. They’re like football players. Y’all got it hard.”
Cormier has crossed paths with WWE before and has never hidden his love for professional wrestling, which is why fans have often wondered whether he’d eventually make the jump after leaving the UFC. In the end, though, he decided the lifestyle and physical punishment simply weren’t worth it.
Rather than chasing another career inside the squared circle, Cormier chose to move into broadcasting and continue building his post-fighting career away from the ring—even if his respect for the men and women who do it has only grown stronger.
Would you have liked to see Daniel Cormier make a run in WWE after his UFC career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
