“December 24, 2024 8:45 pm ET UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Daniel Cormier thinks there have been a number of key players in making MMA what it was over the past 12 months. The former two-division UFC champion was cageside in his color commentator role for 26 of the 42 fight cards put on”, — write: mmajunkie.usatoday.com
The former two-division UFC champion was cageside in his color commentator role for 26 of the 42 fight cards put on by the promotion in 2024. From that position he witnessed what happened inside the octagon as well as anyone. Outside of it, he monitors the sport closely through his various roles as an analyst, podcast host and more.
With the year coming to an end, Cormier joined MMA Junkie to rank his top five most significant people in MMA from 2024, with an arguable snub of MMA Junkie’s 2024 Fighter of the Year winner.
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Hunter Campbell – UFC CFO
Hunter Campbell
“I can even go back to my last fight four years ago. As a former champion, he called, it was literally like that we had built a relationship over the last final years of my career, that he called, there were two sentences, and it was, ‘We’re going to do this for DC. Same as before.’ And we were done. No negative. Then you develop this appreciation for making the negotiations easy because at times they can be so difficult. But just listen to the amount of fighters that not only tip their cap to Dana White anymore, but to Hunter Campbell.”
Conor McGregor – Former UFC champion
Conor McGregor
“He still dominates the headlines and the world of sport, our sport, without even fighting. The failed press conference (before UFC 303). Everyone is up in arms. They left from New Jersey to Ireland, I’m talking ESPN staff, big wigs, to be at Conor’s press conference (in Dublin). They get there and nobody knows what’s happening because Conor’s been injured. But they’re on standby. The whole world’s on standby. Michael Chandler is on standby. Then he has obviously the issue the with the court case, and, ‘I’m coming back. I’m not coming back. I’ve got a fight scheduled.’ There’s never been anyone that makes an impact like this, especially when it’s been so long since he’s competed.”
Jon Jones – UFC heavyweight champion
“Jon Jones is a massive superstar, and Ryan Clark put something in perspective for me the other day when we had a DC/RC reunion. He goes, ‘Imagine the amount of time that he has spent at the top of the sport. He has literally lived through three generations of fighters, and he’s still headlining Madison Square Garden (at UFC 309).’ It was not only that, though, that I say he made an impact. He made an impact because he beat the greatest heavyweight of all time (in Stipe Miocic), and he made it look easy. He made an impact by saying he wasn’t going to fight Tom Aspinall, by dragging him along. Just constantly controlling the narrative, and everybody followed that narrative. I’ve got Jon Jones at No. 3 because of that. To be able to truly control almost all of the sport and be doing it 13 years in the game. It’s impossible to see.”
Alex Pereira – UFC light heavyweight champion
Alex Pereira
“There is no one more impactful in term of a fighter, when it comes to 2024, than Alex Pereira. Because not only did he step up – remember him dancing in the locker room before he went and kicked Jiri (Prochazka) in the head after watching Jiri do something, a mistake that he was making over and over again (in his warm up)? And then doing that thing with his hand to Jamahal Hill with his hand when he knocked him out. I don’t even know what that is, but it became one of the most global things of all time.”
Dana White – UFC CEO
Dana White
“There’s just so many different things that he’s done to continue to elevate the sport. Then going into this next television rights deal, it’s going to be even bigger. And none of that happens without the guy who is at the forefront. He can be a bit bullish at times. But that’s what can make him special.”
To hear more from Cormier, check out his complete appearance above on “The Bohnfire” podcast, hosted by MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.