Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight hitters Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will rematch TONIGHT (Sat., Aug. 17, 2019) at UFC 241 from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
I don’t think many expected 2018 to be the best year of Cormier’s career, but it’s hard to argue. A successful Light Heavyweight title defense, new title at Heavyweight, and another defense to close the year? Massively impressive work, particularly when Cormier finished all his foes within two rounds. One such foe was Miocic, and the former Heavyweight strap-hanger has been arguing for a rematch ever since he coughed up the belt 13 months ago. Somehow, the wait-and-see approach ended up working out for Miocic, who has not competed since coming up short to Cormier.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Daniel Cormier
Record: 22-1 (1)
Key Wins: Stipe Miocic (UFC 226), Derrick Lewis (UFC 230), Anthony Johnson (UFC 210, UFC 187), Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 192), Josh Barnett (Strikeforce: Barnett vs Cormier), Anderson Silva (UFC 200)
Key Losses: Jon Jones (UFC 182)
Keys to Victory: Cormier’s Olympic wrestling background will always be a massive advantage over most foes, but as of late, Cormier’s improved kickboxing has proven just as effective. “DC” hits real hard at Heavyweight, and it’s allowing him to dominate more than ever.
Last time out, Cormier really out-worked his opponent from his own preferred range: the pocket. Miocic landed some good shots and just missed on some scary right hands, but Cormier was nevertheless able to more consistently stick a hard jab in Miocic’s face. Occasionally, he mixed in a hard low kick. When Miocic got too aggressive, Cormier forced a wrestling exchange.
It all worked wonderfully, and it sounds like a smart plan to attempt once more.
If there was one real adjustment I’d like to see Cormier make, it’s get a bit more offensive with his takedown attempts. Last time, Cormier just grabbed onto the clinch, more looking to stuff Miocic’s punches than land takedowns. If he were to instead drop onto a high-crotch takedown, Cormier has yet to really test Miocic’s takedown defense and may find it an available path to victory.
Stipe Miocic
Record: 18-3
Key Wins: Fabricio Werdum (UFC 198), Alistair Overeem (UFC 203), Junior dos Santos (UFC 211), Mark Hunt (UFC Fight Night 65), Andrei Arlovski (UFC 195)
Key Losses: Daniel Cormier (UFC 226), Junior dos Santos (UFC on FOX 13), Stefan Struve (UFC on Fuel TV 5)
Keys to Victory: Miocic is a really a fighter who thrives on fundamentals and feints. Miocic has an accurate right hand, low kicks, and the threat of the takedown, but he’s so good at tripping his foes up with feints that his crushing right finds a home eventually.
In the first bout, Miocic seemed to struggle with Cormier’s speed more than anything else. He may have gotten knocked out on the break of a clinch, but a large majority of Cormier’s success came from within the pocket, where Miocic was supposed to have an advantage.
There’s no excuse for being surprised a second time. Now that Miocic understands Cormier’s snapping jab firsthand, he should have a better plan to counter it. Personally, I’d like to see Miocic counter with kicks and make use of that height advantage, but there are plenty of options there.
Secondly, Miocic seemed to struggle with his foe’s pace a bit. Perhaps the biggest adjustment to be made is not a technical one but mental note: this fight is five rounds, so there’s no reason to chase Cormier around so aggressively in the first five minutes.
Bottom Line: It’s a damn good match up for the Heavyweight title.
Cormier has done so much in the last few years to really secure his legacy as an incredible fighter. Capturing and defending the belt while undefeated at Heavyweight is huge — there’s no argument to knock him there from even Jon Jones himself. If Cormier can defeat Miocic a second time, it’s another huge boost to his resume, one without any asterisks or questions.
Miocic, meanwhile, did manage to set a record for consecutive Heavyweight title defenses before being stopped by Cormier. He would not be the first Heavyweight kingpin to lose his belt at some point — that’s the nature of small gloves and big men. If he can retake the title, Miocic can hopefully return where he left off and keep shattering Heavyweight records.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 241 fight card this weekend, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 241: “Cormier vs. Miocic 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
At UFC 241, Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will meet in the main event for the second time. Which Heavyweight will leave the cage with a golden belt?