Daniel Cormier made UFC history in final MMA win after suffering shock injury on fight day

Daniel Cormier hurt his back the morning of Derrick Lewis fight

Cormier had a tough choice to make at UFC 230.

Cormier injured his back the morning of his title fight with Derrick Lewis, not knowing if he’d be able to compete later that night.

“I sneezed and I slipped my back out,” Cormier said at the UFC 230 post-fight press conference (via MMA Junkie).

“I was hurting bad,” Cormier added.

“It was to the point that I was still kind of singed over, leaning, that [my manager] Bob Cook was all, ‘if you don’t get better then we’re gonna have to make a decision on whether or not you’re gonna fight..’

“It was very scary,” Cormier said of his back injury.

Daniel Cormier became first UFC fighter to defend belts in two weight classes

Despite back problems and a preexisting hand injury, Cormier still fought and dominated Lewis in what would be his final title defense.

Cormier went 4 for 4 on takedowns and he ultimately submitted Lewis with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Cormier made history with the title win, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to defend belts in two divisions.

Cormier held both his light heavyweight and heavyweight titles in the Octagon. He’d never win in MMA again.

Cormier went on to lose the heavyweight strap in his next fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 241 in 2019.