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Stipe Miocic will look to be crowned the greatest heavyweight of all time at UFC 252.
Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic believes a win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 will cement him as the greatest heavyweight of all time.
Miocic lost his heavyweight title to Cormier in 2018, suffering a first-round knockout defeat in the UFC 226 main event. The part-time firefighter rallied back in the rematch, finishing ‘DC’ with a barrage of strikes in the fourth round of the UFC 241 main event to reclaim his heavyweight title.
Their trilogy bout at UFC 252 is for all the marbles, and Miocic is confident he will emerge victorious and be crowned UFC heavyweight GOAT.
“I’m confident,” Miocic told MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin when asked about his takedown defense. “We worked on it, we worked on everything, we worked on every aspect of MMA. We worked on standing, we worked on the ground, we worked on wrestling, worked on jiu-jitsu, worked on boxing, kickboxing, we’re doing everything. We’re going to be ready for it. If he takes me down, I’ll get right back up.”
“Definitely. I believe so,” Miocic said when asked if the winner will be considered the best heavyweight of all time. “I think we’ve done so much. Unfortunately for him, it’s going to be me.”
Miocic will be looking for an early finish at UFC 252 but the 37-year-old is preparing for a five-round war.
“Hell yeah, a knockout’s the way to go,” he said. “End the night early, come out of there unscathed. Listen, I’m definitely going for a knockout. “If it goes five rounds, it goes five rounds, I really don’t care. I’m going to get that win. That’s legit all I care about.”
“I’ve got no bad blood towards him. Not at all. I’m going out with the belt around my waist but I’ll definitely shake his hand say it was a hell of a time.”
UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier III will take place this Saturday, Aug. 15 at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas.