The UFC is back this weekend with a fun PPV card from Las Vegas that is finally giving us the fight we’ve been waiting to see since the last time they met almost a year ago – the trilogy fight between Daniel Cormier and heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic.
This main event should be an absolute classic. This could be the last fight in Cormier’s legendary career and he’d like nothing more than to have Dana White wrap a belt around his waist one last time.
For Miocic, who knocked out Cormier last August in Anaheim, a win would solidify his status once again as one of the all-time great heavyweights.
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Oh yes, that is going to be fun.
Let’s countdown three reasons why this card will be a good one.
3. Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik should end with a KO.
These two heavyweights are both knockout specialists who rarely have their fights go the distance. Plus, they both have something to prove in this one as they’re coming off some tough losses. Dos Santos has been KO’d in his last two fights. The last time we saw Rozenstruik he was being KO’d in just 20 seconds in his fight against Francis Ngannou at UFC 249 this past May. So yeah, expect this one to have some fireworks and end quickly.
2. Sean O’Malley is looking to take another major step up.
O’Malley is 4-0 in his first four UFC fights and now the rising star gets a big spot on PPV card as his bout with Marlon Vera is the co-main event. O’Malley seems to have the star power necessary to eventually be the next big thing in the UFC but he needs to keep winning and doing it impressive fashion. A win Saturday night should allow him to get much bigger fights in the bantamweight division. O’Malley said he’s modeling Conor McGregor’s and Israel Adesanya’s rises to stardom so he needs to keep winning and putting on shows.
1. DC vs. Stipe should be so darn fun.
This main event has all the makings of being an instant classic, one I can’t wait to see. Their fight last August was a beautiful display of violence with each trading serious strikes before Stipe gained an advantage in the fourth and knocked DC out. Cormier says his conditioning will have him in a better spot for this one and it makes sense, as this could be his last fight and he’s going to give himself every chance to leave with a win. Stipe is just a very bad man in the Octagon and I mean that with all the respect in the world. He’s going to stand and bang with DC and wants nothing more than to close out this chapter of his career with another decisive KO of a legend. Heavyweight title fights are can’t-miss fights and I have goosebumps just thinking of this one.
Thursday’s biggest winner: Stephen Strasberg.
The Washington Nationals pitcher wasn’t pitching on Thursday, instead he was sitting up in the stands when he got ejected from the game for chirping at the home plate ump over some calls. Strasberg tipped his cap and walked up the aisle and toward the exit, which was pretty awesome.
Quick hits: NBA play-in games should stay… Kittle’s big payday… Francona’s son rips pitcher…
– Mike Sykes is right – the NBA’s bubble play-in games are great and should become permanent.
– Steven Ruiz explains why the 49ers overpaid George Kittle… and why that won’t matter.
– Terry Francona’s son ripped Indians pitcher Zach Plesac for posting an anti-media rant after breaking COVID protocols.