Olympian, UFC champ Cormier named Honorary Chairman of Wrestling World Cup in LA, June 11-12

LOS ANGELES - May 27, 2016 - PRLog -- Daniel Cormier, a two-time Olympian in men's freestyle wrestling and current UFC light heavyweight champion, will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the 2016 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, set for The Forum in Los Angeles, June 11-12.

Cormier will be supporting the promotional efforts for the World Cup and encouraging the public to come out to see the action, which will feature the top eight men's freestyle nations in action.

The U.S. World Cup team will include all six of the 2016 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestlers. Many of the other nations will also include their 2016 Olympic athletes on their rosters.

"It is a great opportunity. You get to see guys in the final stages of their preparation. During off-Olympic years, you may get to see guys who are not peaked. This is in the phase of when they are peaking for the Olympic Games, two months before the competition. The foreign wrestlers will also be in peak condition. Not only will you get to see our guys at their best, but you get to see them competing against some of the best wrestlers in the world at their peak. It is very rare that we get that kind of opportunity here in the United States," said Cormier.

This is the third straight year which the World Cup has been held in Los Angeles and hosted at The Forum. Cormier joins two other former wrestlers and major public figures who have served as Honorary Chairman of the World Cup.

In 2014, award-winning actor Billy Baldwin was the Honorary Chairman. In 2015, Stephen Neal, a World champion wrestler and three-time Super Bowl champion with the NFL New England Patriots, served as the Honorary Chairman.

Cormier had a successful career in international freestyle wrestling. He was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Athens, Greece, as well as the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Beijing, China. Cormier placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games. He was a 2007 World bronze medalist and placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships. He wrestled on six straight U.S. World or Olympic Teams, and won six straight U.S. Open national titles.

Cormier, who follows international wrestling closely in spite of his busy schedule as a UFC athlete and a television commentator, is excited about the U.S. team which will compete at the World Cup and at the Olympic Games.

"We have an amazing team this year. A chance to see them live is something you can't get back after it's gone. We have one of the better Olympic teams that we have had in a long time," said Cormier.

A native of Lafayette, La., Cormier was a two-time NJCAA Junior College national champion for Colby CC in Kansas. He went on to Oklahoma State, where he placed second in the 2001 NCAA Div. I Championships, competing for two-time Olympic champion John Smith.

The 37-year-old Cormier trains at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose alongside fellow UFC standouts such as Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold. Since moving to California, he has been impressed by the quality of the wrestling and the culture of the sport in the state.

"Wrestling in California is huge. The state championships draws massive numbers. I have a youth wrestling club, and every weekend, we wrestle in massive tournaments. The kids get to wrestle five, six times a weekend. In the LA area, this is a big deal, for people to be able to see wrestling at such a high level. The last time I was at the World Cup at the Forum, it was amazing. You can feel the history of the building. The team went out and had a fantastic performance. It will be a big crowd. People should not miss this opportunity to see the best in the world," said Cormier.

Cormier won a silver medal at the 2005 World Cup which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

"It is the history of the event that make it special. It dates back as far as I can remember. Some of the greatest American wrestlers have won the World Cup. It is a very prestigious event. The World Cup is different than other international events. It brings you back to your days in high school wrestling and college wrestling when you wrestle in dual meets. Your result directly affects the team and its ability to win. I only wrestled in one World Cup, with six years on the World Team and eight years on the national team. It was a great experience," said Cormier.