Former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has triggered a significant online backlash after sharing a highly unusual and controversial theory about teenage girls during a live television appearance. The incident occurred while Cormier was serving as an analyst on the UFC's official Weigh-In Show, where he left his fellow presenters visibly shocked.
Live Broadcast Takes an Unexpected Turn
While previewing the recent UFC 326 event in Paradise, Nevada, alongside co-hosts Laura Sanko, Dan Hellie, and Chris Weidman, the conversation drifted to reminiscing about life at age seventeen. It was at this point that Cormier, one of only four fighters in UFC history to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes, ventured into deeply questionable territory.
"Laura is the idea of what the young high school guy doesn't get," Cormier stated on air. "If I could go back, with my first wife, very voluptuous as a 17-year-old... that turns into fat. You get the girl that's kind of skinny and then she turns into Laura."
Co-Hosts React with Disbelief and Pushback
The panel initially responded with bursts of laughter, but presenter Laura Sanko quickly challenged Cormier's peculiar assertion. She firmly countered by emphasizing that she was actually "thicc" during her high school years, directly disputing his characterization.
Undeterred, Cormier pressed on with his strange line of reasoning. "I'm saying, you get the girl that looks like she's mature beyond her years, what do you think she's gonna look like in three years? Am I wrong guys?" he asked his colleagues, who appeared increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the discussion.
Social Media Erupts in Response
Footage from the broadcast rapidly spread across social media platforms, with the clip being widely shared and condemned. The segment was eventually cut short by co-host Dan Hellie, with Cormier himself acknowledging that Hellie was likely "gonna save me from myself" as the conversation veered further off course.
This controversial incident has overshadowed Cormier's substantial fighting legacy. The 46-year-old retired champion, who held both the heavyweight and light-heavyweight titles simultaneously in 2018, is married to his current wife Salina, with whom he has two children. He was previously married to a woman named Robin and tragically lost a daughter from a prior relationship in a 2003 car accident.
A Complicated Legacy Beyond the Octagon
While Cormier remains celebrated for his in-ring accomplishments and his legendary, bitter rivalry with fellow fighter Jon Jones, this recent television appearance has sparked intense debate about appropriate commentary and the objectification of young women. The incident serves as a reminder that even respected sports figures can generate controversy outside their competitive domains, with their words carrying significant weight in the public sphere.
