Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Cormier will face Stipe Miocic for a second time this Saturday night (Aug., 17, 2019) in the main event of UFC 241 in Anaheim, CA. But before “DC” attempts to defend his Heavyweight title, let’s take a look back at the night the rivalry all began.
Back in early 2018, Cormier was riding high of his second round destruction of Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220, giving him his third title defense as Light Heavyweight king. Looking to up his resume, “DC” asked for and received a Heavyweight title fight against Miocic six months later.
Never being the biggest guy, especially at 265-pounds, Cormier walked into the cage with an obvious height and reach advantage against a man who had already set the record for most title defense at 265-pounds with 3. Undeterred, Cormier went in and took care of business.
From the get-go, Miocic was determined to push the pace, attacking Cormier right away, landing a few decent shots in the process. In between, however, Cormier was landing some sneaky shots of his own, lighting up the champ’s nose.
With 30 seconds remaining in the title fight, the two men locked up in the center of the Octagon. Upon release, “DC” managed to clip Stipe with a short right hand, dropping the 265-pound champion like a sack of potatoes. Four strikers later, the fight was over.
With the win, Daniel become just the second fighter ever to win hold two separate division titles simultaneously, joining Conor McGregor in rather exclusive company at the time.
Now, “DC” looks to go up 2-0 on Stipe and close that chapter of his combat life for good when the two men headline one of the most-anticipated fights of the year. The result of this matchup could play a huge part in whether or not “DC” retires from the fight game or continues to chug along.
To see who else is fighting at UFC 241: “Cormier vs Miocic 2” click here.