Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic II set for UFC 241 on Aug. 17
Heavyweight UFC champion Daniel Cormier (22-1-1) will defend his title against the man he took it from, Aug. 17 in Anaheim, California. The mixed martial arts promotion announced the championship rematch Saturday.
In July of 2018, Cormier — then light heavyweight champ — moved back up to heavyweight to challenge Stipe Miocic (18-3) for the heavyweight crown. Cormier knocked the firefighter and defending heavyweight king out in the first round and then relinquished the light heavyweight belt.
Miocic, who owns the UFC record for most consecutive successful heavyweight title defenses, immediately began calling for a rematch but it appeared for some time as though Cormier and the promotion were eager to lure former champion and WWE star Brock Lesnar back into the Octagon to challenge Cormier. After nearly a year of teasing that potential matchup, the crossover bout has yet to materialize and Miocic will instead get his wish and another crack at the former Olympian.
Though the fight will be an immediate rematch for Miocic, who has not fought since losing to Cormier last year, Cormier has stayed active and defended the belt with a second-round submission victory over Derrick Lewis in November at UFC 230.
Before losing to Cormier, Miocic had suffered defeat only one time since 2012 — a controversial decision loss to Junior Dos Santos in 2014, which he avenged two and a half years later via TKO.
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