Champion Mindset

David Taylor was an ordinary kid with an unordinary goal: To win the Olympic Gold Medal in Freestyle wrestling. His quest to reach that goal brought Magic Man to Penn State where he won two National Championships and two Dan Hodge trophies as the best college wrestler in the country. Finally, in 2020, Taylor achieved his goal and took home Olympic gold, but his journey didn’t end there.

What got him into wrestling in the first place? Why did he take a job as head coach at Oklahoma State? And why isn’t winning good enough for him? On this episode of Champion Mindset, former two-division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier visits his alma mater to sit down with Taylor and uncover those answers.

https://www.ufcstore.com/en/?_s=bm-UFC_Merch_GD-UFC.com-Shop-Podcast-2025 

Timestamps:

1:03 - Taylor’s experience cornering Diego Lopes at UFC Freedom 250

3:43 - Why Taylor started wrestling

15:54 - Taylor’s college years at Penn State

19:36 - The rivalry with Kyle Dake

27:57 - Recovering from a torn ACL

34:57 - The Gold Medal match

37:13 - The rivalry with Hassan Yazdani

42:46 - Taking the Head Coaching job at Oklahoma State

48:37 - Being a Champion at home

49:30 - Taylor’s proudest moment as a coach

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On this episode of Champion Mindset, Daniel Cormier sits with Boston Celtics head coach and Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt Joe Mazzulla to glean insight on the practices and conversations that led to the Celtics winning the 2024 NBA Championship. Mazzulla goes in-depth on the lessons he learned from his father, the value of copying from other coaches, and how earning his blue belt compares to winning the NBA Finals.

https://www.ufcstore.com/en/?_s=bm-UFC_Merch_GD-UFC.com-Shop-Podcast-2025

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Von Miller has won 2 Super Bowls, has been named first-team All-Pro 3 times, and is one of only ten defensive Super Bowl MVPs. The Dallas Cowboys’ star is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer, but despite all of his individual accolades his hope is to leave a different kind of legacy when he decides to hang up the cleats. On this episode of Champion Mindset, two-division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier sits with Miller to find the source of his selflessness, the lessons he learned on the Denver Broncos that he brought to the Los Angeles Rams, and the songs on his pre-Super Bowl playlist.

https://www.ufcstore.com/en/?_s=bm-UFC_Merch_GD-UFC.com-Shop-Podcast-2025 

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Michael Irvin was given immense responsibility at an early age. Before his father passed away, he made Michael promise one thing: To take care of his mother. That promise, combined with his legendary work ethic, vaulted Playmaker to 3 Super Bowl Championships with the Dallas Cowboys, receiving records, and a Hall of Fame NFL career. On this episode of Champion Mindset, two-division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier sits with Irvin to uncover how that promise set his path, how good coaching set him up for success, and how strong teammates like Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith made him a Champion.

https://www.ufcstore.com/en/?_s=bm-UFC_Merch_GD-UFC.com-Shop-Podcast-2025 

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Jorge Posada wasn’t born with elite size, speed, or strength. Everything he has earned from his 5 World Series rings to his 5 Silver Slugger awards has come through his sheer determination and his hard work, but where did that work ethic come from? The future Hall of Famer sat down with former two-division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier to discuss his father’s Mr. Miyagi approach to strength training, getting in fights in Alabama, and how to make yourself undeniable.

This is Champion Mindset with Daniel Cormier.

https://www.ufcstore.com/en/?_s=bm-UFC_Merch_GD-UFC.com-Shop-Podcast-2025 

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Shannon Sharpe is a 3-time Super Bowl Champion as well as the host of Club Shay Shay and Night Cap, but despite all of his success, he keeps chasing. Where does that instinct come from? What drives it? And why can’t he sleep at night?

Former two-division UFC Champion Daniel Cormier sits down with him to find those answers and more on this episode of Champion Mindset.

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Charles Woodson has never known anything but individual success. From winning Mr. Football in Ohio as a High Schooler to becoming the first defensive Heisman Trophy Winner to being named First-Team All-Pro in the NFL, he was always the best player on the field. But how does someone turn individual success into team success? How does someone with that much natural talent fight complacency? And what is inside his Super Bowl ring?

On this episode of Champion Mindset, Daniel Cormier sits down with Woodson to find those answer along with many others.

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Mark Messier is a six-time Stanley Cup Champion, an MVP, and the gold standard for NHL team captains. On this episode of Champion Mindset, he sits down with Daniel Cormier to talk about being a teammate and an opponent of Wayne Gretzky, winning Stanley Cups for two very different franchises, and how he became the leader he needed to be to win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Madison Square Garden.

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How does a kid who was 7th on his college depth chart go on to win 7 Super Bowls and retire as the greatest football player of all-time? Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier sits down with Tom Brady to find that answer.

Brady details his football journey and the lessons he learned through his personal metamorphosis so that he could reach his full potential. The two champions discuss what it means to be a great teammate, how to be ready when your name gets called, and why the all-time greats "choose hard.” 

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