Former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier says he "earned" the tears he cried following his UFC defeats to Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
Cormier was defeated twice by both Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones during his accomplished MMA career, although one of his losses to Jones was overturned after the pound-for-pound No.1 failed a pre-fight drug test.
'DC' was distraught after his second loss to Jones in 2017 and after his two losses to Miocic. He subsequently retired after his loss to the former UFC heavyweight champion Miocic last August.
And Cormier recently fired back at those who laughed at him for crying, stating he has more than "earned" those tears.
“Every time people laughed at me when I cried – When (Jon) Jones beat me in Anaheim, or I cried when Stipe [Miocic] got me, or I cried after my last fight – those tears are earned," Cormier said on the DC & RC podcast.
"Those tears are earned. You don’t get to cry for nothing. Those tears are earned through hard work because I put so much of myself into everything that those tears are earned.
“There’s a reason that these people that go inside the octagon – men, women, whoever goes into there – are professional fighters. Because they are different. And when they are different, and they cry in front of you, to be judged for the world, they have put (in) so much work, and those tears are earned in that work.”
2021 has seen top athletes such as tennis star Naomi Osaka and accomplished Olympian Simone Biles take breaks from their respective sports due to mental health concerns.
Former UFC strawweight turned bare knuckle boxer Paige VanZant recently said she "didn't want to live anymore" following her loss to Rachael Ostovich at BKFC 19.
What are your thoughts on athletes taking breaks due to mental health concerns? Comment below
And Cormier continued by explaining how when athletes put in an extreme amount of preparation, the failure of achieving success can be devastating.
"So, when you see athletes like Paige (VanZant) or you see Naomi Osaka say, ‘I just can’t do this’, it’s so much bigger – Because, so much goes into preparing yourself for an actual competition, for something at the professional level. There’s a reason that it’s called professional," he said.
Despite his losses to Jones and Miocic, Cormier had an extremely successful MMA career wining titles in the UFC and Strikeforce.
After winning and defending his UFC light heavyweight title, Cormier moved up to heavyweight and won the title against Miocic in 2018. 'DC' became the first simultaneous two-division champion to record a title defense when he defeated Derrick Lewis at UFC 230.
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