8. Daniel Cormier
Cormier made his MMA debut at age 30 after a successful amateur wrestling career saw the NCAA All-American qualify for two Olympic teams. Needless to say, he has made up for lost time in the cage. Cormier excelled as an undersized heavyweight, winning the King of the Cage title and the 2012 Strikeforce grand prix before putting down roots in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The American Kickboxing Academy export posted back-to-back victories over “The Ultimate Fighter 10” winner Roy Nelson and former UFC champion Frank Mir before downshifting to 205 pounds. Consecutive blowouts against Patrick Cummins and Dan Henderson set up a showdown with Jon Jones for the undisputed light heavyweight championship at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, 2015. While Cormier came up short in a five-round decision, he later became the primary beneficiary of Jones’ out-of-competition woes. The Lafayette, Louisiana, native laid claim to the vacant 205-pound title with a rear-naked choke submission on Anthony Johnson and the retained it in a split decision over Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson. Cormier, who turned 38 on March 20, will put his championship on the line again at UFC 210, where a rematch with the terrifying “Rumble” Johnson awaits.
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