UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier names MMA's five most significant people of 2024

UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Daniel Cormier thinks there have been a number of key players in making MMA what it was over the past 12 months.

The former two-division UFC champion was cageside in his color commentator role for 26 of the 42 fight cards put on by the promotion in 2024. From that position he witnessed what happened inside the octagon as well as anyone. Outside of it, he monitors the sport closely through his various roles as an analyst, podcast host and more.

With the year coming to an end, Cormier joined MMA Junkie to rank his top five most significant people in MMA from 2024, with an arguable snub of MMA Junkie's 2024 Fighter of the Year winner.

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5. Hunter Campbell – UFC CFO

"When was the last time you heard an executive's name called as many times as Hunter Campbell? He has developed a way of relating to the athletes and their managers that makes fights that seem like they won't happen, or can't happen, come together. It was only a few years ago that he took the lead on negotiations and everything.

"I can even go back to my last fight four years ago. As a former champion, he called, it was literally like that we had built a relationship over the last final years of my career, that he called, there were two sentences, and it was, 'We're going to do this for DC. Same as before.' And we were done. No negative. Then you develop this appreciation for making the negotiations easy because at times they can be so difficult. But just listen to the amount of fighters that not only tip their cap to Dana White anymore, but to Hunter Campbell."

4. Conor McGregor – Former UFC champion

"He still dominates the headlines and the world of sport, our sport, without even fighting. The failed press conference (before UFC 303). Everyone is up in arms. They left from New Jersey to Ireland, I'm talking ESPN staff, big wigs, to be at Conor's press conference (in Dublin). They get there and nobody knows what's happening because Conor's been injured. But they're on standby. The whole world's on standby. Michael Chandler is on standby. Then he has obviously the issue the with the court case, and, 'I'm coming back. I'm not coming back. I've got a fight scheduled.' There's never been anyone that makes an impact like this, especially when it's been so long since he's competed."

3. Jon Jones – UFC heavyweight champion

"Jon Jones is a massive superstar, and Ryan Clark put something in perspective for me the other day when we had a DC/RC reunion. He goes, 'Imagine the amount of time that he has spent at the top of the sport. He has literally lived through three generations of fighters, and he's still headlining Madison Square Garden (at UFC 309).' It was not only that, though, that I say he made an impact. He made an impact because he beat the greatest heavyweight of all time (in Stipe Miocic), and he made it look easy. He made an impact by saying he wasn't going to fight Tom Aspinall, by dragging him along. Just constantly controlling the narrative, and everybody followed that narrative. I've got Jon Jones at No. 3 because of that. To be able to truly control almost all of the sport and be doing it 13 years in the game. It's impossible to see."

2. Alex Pereira – UFC light heavyweight champion

"From saving UFC 300 to saving UFC 303 to fighting in Salt Lake City, Utah (at UFC 307), in what was an absolute barnburner against Khalil Rountree, and his ability to do what he's done with the style that he has – nobody can wrestle him. He's making these guys fight him in the style that only he can win at. Recreating himself as a light heavyweight after getting knocked out by (Israel Adesanya), never giving up on the idea that he may go back to 185. And this man is being said to be one of the greatest of all time, and he is literally an amateur. He's got 11 pro fights. He's got 11 or 12 pro fights in his (MMA) career. And he's talking about maybe he can go to heavyweight and become a three-division champion.

"There is no one more impactful in term of a fighter, when it comes to 2024, than Alex Pereira. Because not only did he step up – remember him dancing in the locker room before he went and kicked Jiri (Prochazka) in the head after watching Jiri do something, a mistake that he was making over and over again (in his warm up)? And then doing that thing with his hand to Jamahal Hill with his hand when he knocked him out. I don't even know what that is, but it became one of the most global things of all time."

1. Dana White – UFC CEO

"For as long as we've done this, it's Dana White. It really has. It has been Dana White, just because he continues to push the boundaries of what the sport is. He continues to be the leader in so many different things. I've seen some other guys start to step in. Obviously Lawrence Epstein is a massive part of everything UFC does, but from negotiating to just truly trying to continue to make the UFC bigger. I don't think I ever knew if the UFC could reach the level of what it is today and how it's viewed. But it doesn't happen without Dana and his vision, and what he wants for this company. From the constant travel, to honestly being part of the Presidential Election, to (even) Power Slap has become a thing now. Opening up Saudi Arabia.

"There's just so many different things that he's done to continue to elevate the sport. Then going into this next television rights deal, it's going to be even bigger. And none of that happens without the guy who is at the forefront. He can be a bit bullish at times. But that's what can make him special."

To hear more from Cormier, check out his complete appearance above on “The Bohnfire” podcast, hosted by MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier names MMA's five most significant people of 2024