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SPORTS Monday 9 July 2018

Cormier stops heavyweight Miocic to win 2nd UFC title belt

By GREG BEACHAM prospect Francis Ngannou
AP Sports Writer in the co-main event at the
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Daniel UFC’s biggest show of the
Cormier knocked out the summer. Welterweight Mike
UFC heavyweight cham- Perry also earned a copi-
pion, argued with a pro- ously bloody split-decision
fessional wrestler and left victory over Paul Felder.
the octagon dancing with But Cormier provided all
glee and perfect balance, the fireworks necessary with
thanks to one champion- his demolition of Miocic,
ship belt on each arm. who had held the heavy-
There will never be another weight belt for over two
Saturday night like it for the years. Miocic was the most
39-year-old former ama- dominant heavyweight
teur wrestler who stands on champion in the history of
the pinnacle of the UFC. the UFC’s most tumultuous
Make that two pinnacles. division, defending his belt
Cormier added the heavy- a UFC-record three times.
weight championship to The Cleveland firefighter
his light heavyweight title hadn’t lost since Decem-
when he stopped Stipe ber 2014 and hadn’t been
Miocic in dramatic fash- stopped since September
ion during the first round of Daniel Cormier celebrates after defeating Stipe Miocic in a heavyweight title mixed martial arts 2012. The show capped
their superfight at UFC 226. bout at UFC 226, Saturday, July 7, 2018, in Las Vegas. the UFC’s annual Interna-
Late in a lively opening Associated Press tional Fight Week in early
round, Cormier (21-1, 1 no- champion who beat him tagon.” traded insults to hype a po- July in its hometown. For
contest) abruptly flattened twice. The second victory Cormier’s move up to chal- tential future bout. the fourth consecutive
the UFC’s long-reigning last summer was changed lenge Miocic was only the “Push me now, (and) year, the weekend’s pay-
heavyweight kingpin with a to a no-contest when Jones third superfight in UFC histo- you’re going to sleep lat- per-view card lost a major
right elbow out of a clinch. failed a doping test, and ry between reigning cham- er,” Cormier yelled at Le- fight when featherweight
He finished Miocic (18- he remains out of the sport. pions of two weight class- snar. “Your days are in the champion Max Holloway
3) on the ground with 27 Cormier is on top of it with es. Welterweight champ past. In the stone age.” was ruled out of his title
seconds left in the round, less than a year to go until Georges St. Pierre defend- Lesnar, likely the biggest defense with Brian Ortega
landing several shots to the reaching his self-imposed ed his belt in 2009 by bat- pay-per-view draw in UFC due to symptoms of an ap-
defenseless champion’s retirement age of 40. tering lightweight champ history, is widely expected parent concussion .
head. “I’m 39 years old, and I’ve BJ Penn, and McGregor to return to MMA early next Lewis (20-5) earned an easy
Cormier became the sec- been second many times,” accomplished his feat less year. White confirmed he’ll decision victory practically
ond fighter in UFC history Cormier said. “But today, I than two years ago in his book Cormier against Le- by default when Ngannou
to hold two championship have accomplished every- most recent MMA fight. snar as soon as Lesnar has (11-3) seemed uninterested
belts simultaneously. Conor thing I ever wanted. From UFC President Dana White completed the requisite in engaging amid heavy
McGregor was the UFC’s crying in this octagon al- said the result confirms drug testing, but Cormier boos. Ngannou, who land-
featherweight champ in most a year ago, to leaving Cormier is “one of the best said he would like to de- ed a paltry 11 strikes over
2016 when he took the as the heavyweight cham- of all time. ... It finally gives fend his 205-pound title lat- three rounds, was thought
lightweight title from Eddie pion.” him the respect that he de- er this year before fighting to be the UFC’s next heavy-
Alvarez. Cormier’s 5-inch height serves. Lesnar. weight force before Miocic
“I was a heavyweight for disadvantage and 8-inch It couldn’t happen to a Cormier was a heavyweight dominated him in January.
a long time, and I left the reach disadvantage better guy. I said to him, ‘If amateur wrestler before his White criticized Ngannou’s
division,” Cormier said. “I against Miocic proved to you’re the champion for late-starting MMA career. downfall.
never knew what I could be no problems — and he the rest of my career, I’ll be He won the Strikeforce The sometimes outrageous
become, but tonight I got actually weighed a few a happy man.’” heavyweight title before Perry (12-3) ended a two-
the answer. I’m a two-divi- pounds more than Miocic After beating Miocic, leaving the division when fight skid with a disciplined,
sion champion, baby!” at weigh-ins on Friday. Cormier engaged in a bit he joined the UFC because punishing performance
Cormier, a former Strike- “In our studying, we knew of clearly planned theat- he didn’t want to fight Cain against Felder (15-4), who
force heavyweight cham- Stipe would back out of rics with Brock Lesnar, the Velasquez, his training part- hung in despite seriously
pion who moved down in the clinch a little bit with his professional wrestler and ner and the former UFC injuring his right forearm
weight to avoid fighting hands low, so I worked on former UFC heavyweight heavyweight champ. and getting a frightening
a good friend, has never that,” Cormier said. “I spent champion. Cormier called Earlier at UFC 226, heavy- cut near his left eye. Both
lost to anyone except Jon all camp knocking out my Lesnar into the cage, and weight Derrick Lewis fighters were covered in
Jones, the star-crossed training partners, and to- Lesnar shoved Cormier in earned a lifeless decision Felder’s blood by the final
former light heavyweight day I got to do it in the oc- the chest while the fighters over formerly fearsome bell.q