The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Everything on the line for Miocic tonight
The question was answered before this Q and A was even finished.
Stipe Miocic likes to talk fast, and to the point. His answer to this question was the perfect example.
“100 percent. No question,” said Miocic in May when asked if his Aug. 17 title fight is the defining bout of his career.
That’s the importance surrounding Stipe Miocic’s rematch with Daniel Cormier.
When the former UFC heavyweight champion swaps punches in the octagon with current champ Cormier in Anaheim, Calif., at UFC 241, Miocic’s legacy will be on the line.
That’s plenty of pressure, but that’s the life of a fighter who is not only pursuing a title, but also all-time greatness and a legacy.
A win Aug. 17 would allow Miocic to reclaim the UFC heavyweight belt and make him a two-time champion.
A win would exorcise Miocic’s first-round knockout at the hands of Cormier in July 2018. Miocic hasn’t fought since that loss. He vowed for months the only bout he would entertain was a rematch with Cormier.
The gamble paid off for Miocic.
A win would solidify any and all doubts of Miocic as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time. Miocic already owns the UFC heavyweight record of three consecutive title defenses during his more than two-year reign as
champion from May 2016 to July 2018.
A loss, however, would complicate things for Miocic, who turns 37 on Aug. 19, and that’s why the pressure to win is so intense.
If Miocic (18-3) doesn’t leave the octagon carrying the belt, his path to another title shot could take a while. The Eastlake
North graduate isn’t thinking about that. His confidence is at an all-time high this week.
“I definitely feel faster. I definitely feel stronger,” said Miocic, who weighed in on Aug. 16 at 230 pounds. “I feel great. My body feels great. My mind feels great.”
Oddsmakers remain high on Cormier, who weighed in Aug. 16 at 236 pounds. They’ve made the champ a -145 favorite, with Miocic a +125 underdog. That only fuels Miocic’s drive.
“No one gave me a chance, and still no one gives me a chance,” he said. “I just want to go out there and shut everyone up.”
Cormier (22-1) has talked about Aug. 17 being his last fight, but he seems to be enjoying his time as champion, and who wouldn’t? He’s determined to put a stamp on his legacy as one of UFC’s alltime great heavyweights.
“If I can go and beat (Miocic) twice, and leave no question about the result, it’s truly something special,” said Cormier on the UFC 241 Embedded web series.
Doing that won’t be easy.
Cormier’s coach Javier Mendez said he would be surprised if the fight ended in an early knockout like it did last July when a Cormier right ended the first bout with
less than a minute remaining in Round 1.
The fighters are too good, too accomplished. This has the makings of a long, grueling fight where each fighter’s will to win will be put to the test.
“The rematch is always a tougher one to some degree because now you’ve got a more motivated individual,” said Mendez about Miocic. “He’s been stewing a whole year prepared for this. We know we have a much hungrier guy. I don’t expect it to be like last time. The last time was a gift. This is gonna be a war.”
Miocic agrees, even if he feels as if Cormier is acting like this fight won’t be much different than the
last.
“I think he thinks it’s going to be an easy fight,” Miocic told The News-Herald this week by phone from Anaheim.
When the fight starts, all of that won’t matter. For Miocic, it’s about reclaiming what he feels belongs to him. The heavyweight belt and his legacy are on the line.
The pressure is on, and it’s just the way Miocic likes it.
“You stay hungry. That’s all there is,” he said. “It’s every day in life, no matter what it is. You gotta stay hungry.”