UFC champ Daniel Cormier insists he'll retire in March 2019

Daniel Cormier’s days in MMA are numbered.

The UFC light heavyweight champion began to vocalize his retirement plans more loudly than ever prior to his fight this past weekend at UFC 220. Cormier (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) defeated Volkan Oezdemir (15-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) by second-round TKO in the pay-per-view co-main event at TD Garden in Boston, truly marking the beginning of the end for “DC.”

Cormier has no desire to fight past 40, and with his 39th birthday rapidly approaching, his exit plan is already formed.

“Come March (of this year), I will have 12 months, at max, left,” Cormier said on The MMA Hour. “I’m going to be done by Mar. 20, 2019. I won’t be fighting again.”

Cormier’s had a long and prestigious athletic career. From collegiate wrestling to Olympic-level competition to a dominant run in Strikeforce and now the UFC, Cormier’s list of accomplishments is long. He knows life as an athlete doesn’t go on forever, though, and is prepared for the next chapter.

Fortunately for Cormier, he has plenty to move on to. He works as a television host for FS1, regularly commentates UFC events and runs a youth wrestling program. He also has a family who has supported him all along the way, and he wants to pay it forward by turning the focus on them.

“I’m going to be done at 40,” Cormier said. “I won’t be back. There won’t be jumping around or, ‘I’m done until I get the right type of fight.’ It’ll be over. I’m not going to be doing this anymore. I’ve said time and time again that I’ve lived a great life in sports. I’ve loved every moment of it. My family has revolved around sports. Not only my family, (wife) Selena and the kids – but also my mom and my dad.

“I’ve been the center of the athletic universe for my family for a really, really long time. It’s time for that to be little Daniel and Marquita. It’s time for them to be the center of our athletic competition, and I just want to be one of those crazy dads that gets to yell on the sideline and just go crazy and brag about his kids.”

Cormier is satisfied with what he’s done and currently doesn’t envision anything that would cause him to adjust his plan. He was asked if the potential return of hated rival and the only man to beat him, Jon Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC), could sway his plans in a different direction. He said delaying for that fight, or any other, won’t do.

“It’s not about them anymore; it’s about me. It’s my story,” Cormier said. “I don’t care who I fight over the course of this next 14 months. It’s going to be who’s deserving. My legacy, my career, is not tied to beating Alexander (Gustafsson) more convincingly this time or finally beating Jon Jones. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. It’s about me and what I’m doing.

“At the end of the day, I have to be OK with my career when it’s said and done, and my career is good with me when it’s said and done, whether I beat Jones or if I have to beat Gustafsson, or if I never face him. I’m fine with everything.”

For complete coverage of UFC 220, check out the UFC Events section of the site.