Daniel Cormier Set to Walk Cowboys into GIA to Wrestle Iowa

STILLWATER — The second double champ in UFC history is set to walk the Cowboys into their dual against the Hawkeyes.

David Taylor told media members Wednesday that Daniel Cormier will walk the Oklahoma State wrestling team to the mat when the Cowboys do battle with Iowa at 5 p.m. Sunday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The walk to the mat has become a thing under Taylor’s leadership, as thus far this season UFC fighter Diego Lopes, wrestling GOAT John Smith, reigning world champ Zahid Valencia and OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker have all led the Cowboys into the arena.

“Daniel Cormier is walking our team out,” Taylor said. “So, we’re excited about that. Obviously Daniel’s a legend here at Oklahoma State. Obviously he’s gone on to be legendary afterwards. He understands what it’s like to come back and be a part of this. We’re excited. I’ve texted him about a dozen different times — February 22nd, February 22nd, February 22nd — to make sure that he remembers that it’s here. We’re excited. I think it’ll be a really cool thing, and we’re excited for him to walk us out.”

Cormier has multiple links to OSU, most notably the fact that he was an All-American for the Cowboys in 2001, where he took second at the NCAA Tournament at 184 pounds.

DC also has molded one of Taylor’s wrestlers, as Cody Merrill learned under Cormier at Gilroy High School in California. Merrill was 109-0 at Gilroy. He won two California state titles, which is an extra impressive feat given the state doesn’t divide its wrestlers into classes by school size.

Cormier also has a longstanding relationship with Taylor despite Taylor just getting to Stillwater ahead of last season.

“I’ve actually known Daniel for a long time,” Taylor said. “When I was a little kid and he was still training — Daniel loves video games if you guys don’t know that. So, when I would go to the Olympic Training Center, he always just took good care of me. Like always made sure I was not all by myself or whatever. He would just whoop my butt in video games and talk trash to me the entire time, and I would always come back for more and he’d always whoop my butt.

“So, like, I’ve known him for a long time. He’s always been really cool to me, and to kind of link up our histories and our traditions and stuff together with Oklahoma State wrestling is cool. He coached Cody Merrill in high school, so obviously there’s a relationship there and how we can help Cody.

“It’s a cool thing. Wrestling is a small circle — it really is, and probably the higher level you get, the smaller it gets.”

Also a two-tine junior college national champ at Colby CC in Kansas, Cormier continued wrestle after his time on OSU’s roster, taking bronze at the 2007 World Championships. But then Cormier transitioned to MMA and further grew his star.

He went 22-3 in his MMA career, at one point holding the UFC’s light heavyweight and heavyweight championships.

Since his retirement from the sport, Cormier has stayed active in combat sports, coaching at Gilroy, commentating UFC events and commentating the NCAA championships (see his excellent work during Wyatt Hendrickson’s big win last season).

Oklahoma State vs. Iowa

When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena
Watch: ESPN