CLEVELAND -- UFC champion Stipe Miocic set the record for the most consecutive successful defenses of the heavyweight title with his dominant unanimous-decision victory over top-ranked contender Francis Ngannou in the main event of UFC 220 at TD Garden in Boston on January 20th.
But after defending the heavyweight championship for a third consecutive time, Miocic had less than a week to enjoy it, as he was chosen as a coach for the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter and would again fight to retain his title against light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier on July 7th.
“Listen, I did something nobody’s ever done before, and I’m happy, but like I said, onto the next,” Miocic told WKYC.com in an exclusive interview at the 2018 Cleveland International Auto Show at the IX Center Thursday. “That’s all I care about.”
Prior to and following UFC 220, Cormier repeatedly denied wanting to move up to heavyweight in the UFC. However, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Cormier is going up a class to heavyweight after previous competing in the division in other organizations.
Cormier enters the super-fight with a 20-1-0 record with one no-contest in nine years as a professional mixed martial artist.
Cormier won the heavyweight championship in multiple organizations, including XMMA in just his third professional bout, and then, in King of the Cage before going on to claim the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Championship in 2012.
In his third UFC fight, Cormier moved down to light-heavyweight and has remained there since, going on to win the championship, which he has successfully defended twice and retained after a loss to Jon Jones was moved to a no-contest when Jones failed a post-fight test for steroids.
“I match up well with D.C.,” Miocic said. “He’s a tough guy. He’s a great fighter, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me yet. Listen, I’m not giving up that belt. I’m walking out with the belt still wrapped around my waist, ‘And Still’ heavyweight champ.
“Every fight’s different. You train to fight that guy. D.C.’s no different than any other guys I’ve fought before. He’s a great fighter, but listen, nothing’s going to change. I’m going to walk out, hand raised and still the champ.”
Despite being the underdog once again, Miocic, a graduate of Eastlake North High School, retained the UFC heavyweight championship of the world by outpointing and outwrestling Ngannou in the main event of UFC 220.
Miocic won the bout, 50-44, on all three of the judges' scorecards.
According to FightMetric, Miocic held control of Ngannou for 15 of the 25 minutes of the fight, and while in the clinch and guard, he landed most of his 200 strikes. Known as a judicious puncher, Miocic connected on 200 of his 244 strikes (82 percent) and 70 of his 95 significant attempts (74 percent).
Including the win over Ngannou, Miocic has won six straight fights, improved to 18-2 in his professional career, and is 12-2 in 14 bouts under the UFC banner.
“He was a big, strong guy,” Miocic said of Ngannou.
“I was ready for that, but it was just tiring because he’s a tough guy. He was still out there swinging. Even in the fifth round, that guy still hit hard, and I didn’t want to give him any chances. Listen, I did my job, was happy and brought home the title, kept the streak alive and broke the record.”
