The UFC is close to finalizing the third and final installment of the Stipe Miocic/Daniel Cormier rivalry for later this summer. The two fighters have taken to Twitter to announce that the trilogy fight is on.
The time has come. Who’s ready!?#SM #AndStil pic.twitter.com/vF8TftZOpq
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) June 7, 2020
UFC President, Dana White, hinted this weekend at UFC 250 that the fight was close to being done. Stipe Miocic (19-3), has been recovering much of this year from an eye injury that he suffered at the hands of Daniel Cormier (22-2-1) in their second fight back at UFC 241. That night, Miocic redeemed himself, stopping Cormier in the fourth round to win back the heavyweight title of the world.
As UFC fans, we are getting to witness a second trilogy in the last ten years involving the heavyweight title. Cormier’s AKA teammate, Cain Velasquez, and Junior dos Santos gave UFC fans three incredible fights for the heavyweight title. Velazquez closed the trilogy with an incredible fifth round TKO to win the series 2-1. Now, it’s Cormier’s turn to try to win his trilogy in what will likely be his last UFC fight.
Miocic: 1 – Cormier: 1 with 2 Knockouts
Cormier became the second man in UFC history to hold two UFC titles simultaneously after he knocked out Miocic back at UFC 226. Miocic had defended the title more times than any UFC heavyweight champion in history, but Cormier, who was the light heavyweight champion at the time, moved up in weight and knocked him out in the first round. The MMA world was turned on it’s head, and Cormier finally won a legitimate title that wasn’t tied to his light heavyweight rival, Jon Jones.
Cormier defended the title against Derrick Lewis back at UFC 230 before granting Miocic his rematch. The second fight was a classic back and forth battle. Cormier was controlling the fight leading into the championship rounds. However, Miocic made some key adjustments and started doing serious body work. Miocic was able to catch Cormier with a body shot which hurt “DC” bad, and Miocic finished him off with a flurry of punches winning back his title.
Miocic vs Cormier 3 is about more than the title
There is so much on the line in the conclusion of this trilogy. If Miocic is able to defeat Cormier for a second time, he will solidify himself as the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. If Cormier is able to defeat Miocic for the second time, he might be able to make that same distinction, but he will also go down as one of the greatest to ever do it. These two men do not like each other, and both men have knocked the other out. This is the heavyweight title fight we’ve been waiting for, and it’s going to happen later this summer.
LFG #andnewagain #2xchamp #weareaka #zinkinsportsmanagememt pic.twitter.com/l81jimJzgu
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) June 8, 2020