[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] made history at UFC 226 when he joined a select few athletes who have held two UFC titles simultaneously.
Then-light heavyweight champion Cormier challenged heavyweight champ [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] in July 2018, and it didn’t take “DC” long to achieve his goal, stunning Miocic in the first round of their main event title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Miocic was the aggressor early as the two engaged in a clinch. Little was thrown in that position, and Miocic disengaged, throwing a knee off the break.
Miocic then pushed forward with a combination as he backed up the challenger, but Cormier enjoyed successes of his own, thanks to his consistent jab and some hard leg kicks. An eye poke by Cormier caused a break in the action, but when the fight resumed, both fighters started throwing heat.
[lawrence-related id=540628,534575]
Cormier then initiated the clinch and threw a short right hand that dropped Miocic. “DC” then followed up with two heavy ground-and-pound shots that knocked out Miocic and saw Cormier crowned a double champion.
“DC” notched his first heavyweight title defense later in the year by submitting Derrick Lewis at UFC 230. He then faced Miocic for a second time, where the Ohio native gained revenge by stopping Cormier in the fourth round to reclaim the title at UFC 241.
Now Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) will look to write a fairytale ending for his career when he takes on Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in a rubber match in the main event of UFC 252 at UFC Apex on Aug. 15.
Before he faces Miocic for a third time, relive Cormier’s championship-winning performance in the video above.
[vertical-gallery id=335412]