CLEVELAND -- Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic continues to call for a rematch against Daniel Cormier, just days after dropping the belt to the second-ever simultaneous two-division titlist.
Late Monday, Miocic took to social media to campaign for a return bout after suffering a late first-round knockout loss to Cormier in the main event of UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 7.
“I have four belts,” Miocic tweeted. “I broke the record for consecutive title defenses. I cleared out the heavyweight division. @DC_MMA, let’s have a rematch as proven champs.”
Monday’s post was the second time Miocic called for a rematch through social media, as two days after the fight, he tweeted to Cormier, “Let’s dance again and get a rematch before you call it a career.”
Miocic’s latest efforts to attain a rematch followed an explosive interview with ESPN that was published Monday, where he let his frustrations be known about Brock Lesnar and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“I want a title shot. I deserve it,” Miocic told ESPN, as reported by Brett Okamoto. “[Lesnar] hasn’t fought in how long? For him to get a title shot, as I get thrown to the side? It just seems like they are desperate for pay-per-views.
“I cleaned out the division. I defended it more than anyone, and you’re gonna tell me I don't deserve a chance to get it back? Get out of here. Kiss my ass if you don’t think I deserve that.”
After a string of dominant performances on his way up the rankings, Miocic won the UFC heavyweight championship with a first-round knockout of Fabricio Werdum in front of 45,000 fans cheering on the defending title-holder in the main event of UFC 198 at the Arena Atletico Paranaense in Curitiba, Brazil, on May 14, 2016.
Miocic went on to defend the UFC heavyweight championship with first-round knockouts of Alistair Overeem (September 10, 2016 in Cleveland) and Junior dos Santos (May 13, 2017 in Dallas), as well as a dominant unanimous-decision victory over power-punching challenger Francis Ngannou (January 20, 2018 in Boston).
The record-holder for the most consecutive successful defenses of the UFC heavyweight championship, Miocic is 18-3-0 in his professional career, including a 12-3 mark under the UFC banner. Prior to the loss to Cormier, Miocic was on a six-fight winning streak.
Instead of talking about an immediate rematch with Miocic, which has become the UFC’s custom for long-reigning champions, namely Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey, Cormier grabbed the microphone during his post-fight interview and challenged Lesnar to a fight.
A one-time UFC heavyweight champion, Lesnar has not fought in MMA since July of 2016 and has six months remaining on a suspension dating back to multiple failed tests surrounding that fight against Mark Hunt at UFC 200. Additionally, with his last bout ending in a no-contest, Lesnar has not won inside the Octagon since July of 2010.
“I was going to ask for a rematch,” Miocic said. “When Brock came in, I said, ‘I’m out of here, I don’t need this circus.’ How can you give a guy a title shot who hasn’t fought in over two years, is suspended, and his last fight is a no-contest because he was taking PEDs?”
