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It took him two tries, but Daniel Cormier can finally call himself the UFC’s light heavyweight champion – a title he earned through perseverance, hard work and a refusal to accept no for an answer.

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When Jon Jones was suspended indefinitely and stripped of his belt in April 2015, Cormier begged UFC president Dana White for a chance to fight for the title again, despite having lost to Jones by unanimous decision in January 2015.

Cormier got a second opportunity and capitalized, using a third-round rear naked choke on Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 187 to claim the vacant title.

Cormier is no stranger to success, having been a two-time Olympic wrestler and six-time U.S. Open national champion, but he has also struggled with losses. At Oklahoma State, he lost the Division I finals. He finished fourth at the 2008 Olympics and never made it to the 2012 Summer Games after falling ill.

• Pro since 2009

Cormier was an undefeated 14-0 when he faced Jones at UFC 182 in Las Vegas. He pushed the champion to the brink but was successful on just one takedown attempt and dropped a unanimous decision. At the time, it appeared he would have to work his way back into title contention.

But when the title was vacated, he pestered White to put him in the Octagon against Johnson, arguably the hardest puncher in the UFC. White put aside any concerns he may have had and granted Cormier a second shot in the span of four months.

This time, Cormier reached the pinnacle of the UFC. He pushed Johnson against the cage and controlled the match on the mat, using his weight to tire out Johnson before he applied the decisive submission hold.