Daniel Cormier officially announces his retirement from MMA

Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight world champion Daniel Cormier has officially announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

Prior to his third encounter with Stipe Miocic at UFC 252 last August, the 41-year-old Cormier stated that he is calling it a day regardless of what happens on fight night.

Not only that Miocic was able to successfully defend his UFC heavyweight world title that evening via unanimous decision, he also handed Cormier the first back-to-back losses of his career.

“I’m not going to fight anymore. I was talking to Joe Rogan after the fight, and I told him my interest is fighting for championships and I can’t imagine with a loss that I’d be fighting for a belt again,” Cormier said in an interview on ESPN.

“I lost two fights in a row for the first time in my career. You’ve got to understand when it’s time, and the reality is part of the reason I got hit with that right hand by Stipe is because I’m older. You can’t fight father time.”

The former wrestling Olympian went on to explain that even though he is still capable to compete, young lions are bound to take over as he does see himself being able to keep up.

“All these young guys, they just continue to improve and they continue to train and get better and they stay younger. They stay a lot younger,” he explained.

“Even when Jones and I fought the first time. I was 35 years old. He was maybe 26, 25, something like that. Those guys are still young. Every day that goes by, my time just gets a little bit more in the rearview. I’m not going to be fighting anymore.”

And while Cormier concedes that he is going to miss the bright lights, he reiterated that his time as a prizefighter is over.

“I feel like I’m closing the door shut on this thing, it’s over and I’m not sad about it. I’m not sad,” he quipped.

“I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss the training camps. I’m going to miss the fights. There’s nothing like a fight week, but you have to understand when it’s your time. I feel like it’s time.” -- BAP, GMA News