Daniel Cormier shares blunt advice to aging ex-UFC stars who won’t stay retired

Daniel Cormier is having some truth talk with former UFC stars who can’t let go of the fight game.

MMA and boxing fans are used to seeing beloved fighters compete past their prime. Some fighters are able to garner some success despite aging, but others end up fighting through extensive losing streaks. It gets uncomfortable for many fans and experts when the veterans are knocked unconscious after each fight.

More recently, Luke Rockhold entered the boxing ring at the age of 40 to take on Darren Till. Rockhold was brutally knocked out and admitted afterwards that he shouldn’t be taking damage anymore. In a new video posted on his YouTube channel, Cormier pleaded with aging fighters to prioritize their health over another payday (via MMAFighting).

“For me, what makes me sad is watching guys that have had those careers, go and fight these fights that really mean nothing,” Cormier said. “I guess it’s for money, but it sucks when you see a guy that was a champion all of a sudden almost say, ‘To hell with the legacy, I’m just going to go get paid.’ …

“Something has got to change in that regard because, bro, I hated it. He got knocked out so bad. And then, you can tell when it don’t matter so much, because right afterward, they’re together in a picture at a bar. You could just tell that it don’t matter. It just doesn’t matter to him that he got knocked out, and it sucks.”

Cormier believes that the name recognition of some of the fighters should be enough to land them an opportunity that doesn’t involving risking their health and legacies.

“Find alternatives, guys. You don’t have to fight forever. We have our time, and then the time passes. They always say Father Time is undefeated. That’s never been proved more true than with what we’re seeing lately.”

Many agree that Cormier walked away from pro MMA competition at the right time. He retired at the age of 41 following a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic in their trilogy fight. While UFC CEO Dana White felt Cormier had some juice left in the tank, the Hall of Famer thought otherwise.