Javier Mendez wants to see the trilogy fight.
The head coach of American Kickboxing Academy hopes the UFC books a third bout between current heavyweight champ [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and former heavyweight and light heavyweight title holder [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]. The two first fought at UFC 226 in 2018, where Cormier knocked out Miocic to become champ-champ, as he already held the 205-pound title. They would later rematch a year later at UFC 241, and that time Miocic managed to stop Cormier in the third round of their contest to regain his belt. It was one of the best heavyweight championship fights in UFC history.
Although Mendez appreciates the adjustments Miocic did to comeback and beat Cormier at UFC 241, Mendez says his pupil wasn’t fully ready for the fight.
“Well, you know, we all make excuses, we all say this and that, and I’m good at making excuses, too, you know, because I’ve done it,” Mendez told MMA Junkie. “But the bottom line is I like to tell the truth. It does come out as an excuse, but Daniel just did have surgery not too long after that fight. He was not 100 percent going in.
“He was good. He was ready for the title bout, don’t get me wrong, but he wasn’t the same as he was the first fight, straight up. And I know it doesn’t sound good to say that, but I’ll take the heat. It’s fine, blast away, I’m fine with that. It’s the truth, though.”
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Cormier told ESPN he had back surgery in December 2018 after his first heavyweight title defense against Derrick Lewis. Cormier than returned to the octagon in July for the rematch against Miocic, where he lost the title.
Mendez thinks Cormier didn’t have the time needed to recover and fully gain the mobility to be in the right shape for the fight. Regardless, Mendez admires Miocic’s performance and gives him full credit for the win.
“Stipe won fair and square,” Mendez said. “He hit beautiful body shots. He recovered. He was losing all the rounds; he recovered fantastic. I mean, hey, if I’ve got to say anything, man, props to him.
“He came back from adversity and he pulled it off. So man, there’s a lot to be said for how he did; only a true champion can do that. Champion of champions, they do that, and he did that. So they’re both in the same categories of being champions of champions, you know. And they both pulled it off and they both proved it. So a trilogy fight would be a great one between two great champions.”
Mendez wants the Miocic trilogy next. However, Miocic recently recovered from an eye injury, and he’s also expressed interest in pursing boxing upon return. Mendez is confident the trilogy between Miocic and Cormeir will go down next and says “DC” won’t accept any other fight.
“He’s set on Stipe,” Mendez said. “And if he doesn’t get Stipe, then that will probably be it. So that would be in the best interest of the UFC, if they want to save one marquee fight, which is a great trilogy – one of the best trilogies they’ve had.
“So they’re both 1-1, so it’s a great trilogy fight in the heavyweight division. I think the UFC is very smart, and I would believe and I’m 100 percent thinking they’re going to say that’s the fight to make.”
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