Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones are among those selected by MMA Junkie as the greatest fighters of the decade.
The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the years 2010 to 2019 have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.
Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade. All 14 staff members submitted personal top-10 lists to create our overall list. Rest assured: We took this seriously.
Without further ado, our complete list:
10. Max Holloway
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Decade resume
Record: 21-5
UFC featherweight champion: June 3, 2017-Dec. 14, 2019
13-fight winning streak
Key victories over Anthony Pettis, Jose Aldo (twice), Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar
Daniel Cormier’s run in the 2010s included some of the biggest fights in UFC history, multiple title reigns and just two losses in 25 bouts.
The 2010s, arguably the most important decade in the history of mixed martial arts, is coming to a close. One reason why the past 10 years have been so pivotal to the sport is the sheer talent that exists across all divisions – men and women, from flyweight (which didn’t even exist until February 2012) to heavyweight. Simply put, the number of great fighters to grace cages and rings across the world never has been higher.
Here at MMA Junkie, we’ve put together a staff-wide, composite ranking of the top 10 fighters of the past decade, which we’ll reveal Monday-Friday until Dec. 27. Today, we reflect on No. 3: Daniel Cormier.
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[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] had a meaningful impact on two weight classes over the past 10 years. He might not go down as the best ever in either division, but when combining his overall efforts, it’s obvious he belongs high in the discussion of all-time greats.
When the decade began, Cormier was still somewhat lost. His pursuit of Olympic wrestling greatness was cut short in 2008 when kidney failure stemming from an extreme weight cut prematurely ended his dreams. It effectively spelled the end of his amateur wrestling career, too, but when one door closed, another opened.
Cormier was already five months removed from his 30th birthday when he made his MMA debut. That’s well beyond the starting point for most, especially those who make it to the highest level of the sport. Still, though, it didn’t stop him from being tremendously successful.
With the exception of his first professional fight in September 2009, Cormier’s MMA run to this point has come after the turn of the decade. He won the King of the Cage heavyweight belt in just his fourth bout, and while he was seemingly rotund for his 5-foot-11 frame, it was evident he possessed all the talent and tenacity to thrive.
After building up more experience in regional promotions, as well as the now-defunct Strikeforce organization, Cormier’s first big break came in September 2011. He was inserted into the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix semifinals as an alternate, fighting the fearsome Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, who was fresh off a memorable thrashing of Fedor Emelianenko.
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It was only Cormier’s 10th fight, and many believed it to be too much, too soon. Not Cormier, though. He knocked out Silva in less than four minutes to advance to the tournament final, where he would meet Josh Barnett.
At the time, Barnett, the former UFC heavyweight champion, had gone six years unbeaten and nearly four times the number of fights. Cormier didn’t care, as he controlled Barnett for much of five rounds to win a convincing decision and the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix title, opening the eyes of many that he was a unique entity.
The UFC’s purchase of Strikeforce would see Cormier make his octagon debut just two fights later in April 2013. He beat former champ Frank Mir in his promotional debut at UFC on FOX 7, then would handle divisional mainstay Roy Nelson in his sophomore effort at UFC 166.
Despite racking up a 13-0 record at heavyweight, Cormier would switch weight classes after beating Nelson, mainly because his good friend and longtime teammate, Cain Velasquez, held the UFC heavyweight title, and they refused to fight.
But it was also because of Jon Jones’ dominance over the light heavyweight division. Some serious bad blood had formed between Cormier and Jones, stemming from their first interaction at UFC 121 in October 2010. And after picking up two wins following his drop to 205 pounds, Cormier got a championship showdown with “Bones” at UFC 182 in January 2015.
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After one of the most personal build-ups in UFC history, Jones would hand Cormier his first career loss by unanimous decision. It was Cormier’s initial encounter with defeat after more than five years of fighting, and while emotional, he didn’t let it define him.
Cormier would get the UFC light heavyweight title in his very next fight. Jones’ infamous hit-and-run case in 2015 caused him to be stripped of UFC gold, making way for Cormier to beat up and choke out Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in May 2015.
The fact Cormier didn’t take the title directly off Jones put something of an asterisk around his reign, but that’s not his fault. He defended against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 (and landed the most significant strikes in light heavyweight title-fight history), then was booked to rematch Jones at UFC 200 in July 2016.
A failed Jones drug test result that came in during fight week derailed plans for the rematch, though, and Cormier would go on to beat Anderson Silva, who stepped in on two days’ notice at the milestone event.
Cormier then defended his title against “Rumble” Johnson in a rematch at UFC 206, finally setting the stage for him to face Jones a second time in one of the biggest fights in UFC history. Jones stopped Cormier by third-round knockout, but the result was overturned to a no contest within weeks when another drug test mishap disqualified Jones from competition yet again.
The ensuing fights is where Cormier truly cemented his legacy. He defended the light heavyweight title that was handed back after Jones’ suspension when he beat Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220 in January 2018, then a historic opportunity came along.
Daniel Cormier at UFC 230. (USA TODAY Sports)
With Velasquez removed from the heavyweight title scene, Cormier returned to the division where he started his career with the chance to obtain a second belt. He moved up and challenged Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 in July 2018, scoring a first-round knockout to join Conor McGregor as the only fighters in UFC history to hold multiple belts simultaneously.
Although Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo followed in attaining “champ-champ” status, Cormier set himself apart from those two and McGregor with his next move. With multiple 205-pound title defenses already on his resume, Cormier managed to successfully defend his heavyweight belt against Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 in November 2018.
That victory over “The Black Beast” made Cormier the only fighter in not just the UFC – but any major organization – to defend belts in multiple divisions. That boosted his legacy overboard in terms of the greatest of his era.
Unfortunately the decade closed on a low note for Cormier. He would lose the heavyweight belt back to Miocic in a rematch at UFC 241, succumbing to a fourth-round knockout after controlling the action up to that point.
Losing to Miocic – who is arguably the greatest heavyweight ever – doesn’t take away from Cormier’s legacy, though. Just the same as the defeat to Jones doesn’t, either.
Cormier’s body of work outside of those losses was nothing short of immaculate and one-sided, and that’s to make no mention of his importance to the sport outside of the octagon.
There was certainly some ungraceful moments for Cormier, from his press conference brawl with Jones inside the lobby go the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to the many unsavory things the rivals said to each other over the years. Outside of that, though, Cormier has been the perfect ambassador for the sport, molding himself as the opposite of the “stereotype” MMA fighter and leaving a trail of selfless actions too long to detail.
He’s also educating the next generation of fight fans week after week. Cormier is one of the best commentators and fight analysts in the game, and once he retires following his trilogy bout with Miocic in 2020, he will continue to teach the world why this sport is so special.
There are many layers to Cormier’s legacy, but it holds up with anyone in the sport’s history. When distinguishing the elite of the past decade alone, though? He easily deserves his No. 3 spot among MMA Junkie’s top fighters of the decade.
The results of Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, and Amanda Nunes’ dual UFC title reigns haven’t been great.
The moments we’ve seen fighters carry two UFC title belts over their heads have been nothing short of magical. They’ve provided a truly memorable and special feel, but the fallout of those scenarios has been utterly disappointing.
Four fighters in UFC history have held belts in two divisions at the same time. The results of those reigns, however, have been borderline disastrous.
After Henry Cejudo relinquished his flyweight belt on Thursday, three of those four iconic dual-champ figureheads have had their champ-champ status ended without losing the gold in the cage, and that’s kind of a problem.
Let’s look at how it’s all unfolded …
Conor McGregor
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] was the original champ-champ. After beating Jose Aldo for featherweight gold at UFC 194, McGregor added the lightweight title to his collection with a knockout of Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 at UFC 205. It took just 14 days for the UFC to strip him of the 145-pound strap, then he would have the 155-pound belt taken away 17 months later while he occupied himself with a Floyd Mayweather boxing match and the extensive time off that came afterward. McGregor didn’t defend either title and hasn’t touched UFC gold since.
Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier at UFC 230. (Getty Images)
[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]’s dual-champ reign was probably the most successful of all, because he actually made a title defense while in possession of both. While holding the light heavyweight strap, Cormier moved up to heavyweight and knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 in July 2018. He defended the heavyweight belt against Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 in November 2018, but would never return to 205 pounds. The UFC made a title fight between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 in December 2018, and just one day before the fight took place, Cormier announced he was relinquishing the gold in a, “You can’t fire me, I quit” type of moment.
Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo after UFC 238.
[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]’s time as a simultaneous two-division champ lasted six months, but he did not compete during that window. After defending his flyweight title against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January, Cejudo moved up to bantamweight to fight for the vacant strap after Dillashaw failed a drug test and was stripped of the belt. Cejudo would joins the history books with a memorable finish of Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 in June to take the 135-pound belt, but he suffered a shoulder injury in the bout and is still recovering from surgery. With a clear intent to fight the bigger names at bantamweight, the UFC and Cejudo mutually agreed he would give up the flyweight belt so the division could move forward.
Amanda Nunes
Amanda Nunes after UFC 245.
[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag], of course, still holds dual-champ status. The longtime women’s bantamweight queen got her second belt when she knocked out Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 to claim the featherweight title, but it’s been nearly a year since that fight, and she’s yet to defend the 145-pound belt. After defending the 135-pound title against Holly Holm in July, Nunes was adamant about defending her other title next. She couldn’t find a willing foe at featherweight, though, and that’s going to continue to be a frustrating dilemma as long as both titles are in her possession.
To Daniel Cormier, this isn’t like when he tried to get a fight with Brock Lesnar while Stipe Miocic waited patiently.
WASHINGTON – [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] was trying to return the favor by talking about a potential [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] fight.
When Cormier (22-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) defeated Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) at UFC 226 to capture the UFC heavyweight title, he was immediately confronted by former titleholder Brock Lesnar, who was being set up to be his first title challenger.
Miocic, who’s the only fighter in UFC history to successfully defend the heavyweight belt three straight times, felt slighted, and demanded an immediate rematch. When the fight with Lesnar fell through, Cormier ended up facing popular Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC 230 at New York’s Madison Square Garden instead.
It was a dominant performance for Cormier, who submitted Lewis in the second round, retaining his title. He then shifted his attention back to Lesnar, but Lesnar ultimately chose to re-sign with WWE.
So Cormier eventually made good on his promise that he would face Miocic again should the Lesnar fight not materialize, and the two rematched at UFC 241 in August.
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However, Miocic was able to get his revenge, taking Cormier out in the fourth round and recapturing his heavyweight title. A trilogy seems inevitable, but Miocic took his turn in potentially delaying their fight, by saying that he’d rather face boxing world champion Fury next.
But Cormier thinks their situations were completely different.
“After all that was done last year when I was going to fight Brock Lesnar and I said, ‘I’ll wait for Lesnar, and if Lesnar can’t go I’ll fight Stipe’,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “I think it’s kind of the same thing (with him trying to fight Tyson Fury). But reality is, it’s vastly different. I think it’s misguided. I had Lesnar in my face. He came into the octagon and all that. I’ve got to be honest with you: The moment they said Brock can’t fight, I said, ‘Then let’s give Stipe his fight.’
“The moment they said it, I said, ‘OK, find a date for Stipe and I to fight. He deserves his rematch.’ I think the idea of the way things happened may have been a little bit misunderstood, but it went exactly as I said. From the moment of the fight I said, ‘If Brock doesn’t fight, I’ll fight Stipe.’ When they said, ‘No Brock.’ I said, ‘OK, let’s do Stipe.'”
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Cormier, who said he expects to be facing Miocic in June, has said on numerous occasions that it will be his final fight of his career. One of the greatest fighters of all time, capturing two titles simultaneously, Cormier is confident that the UFC already has a plan set, for when he gets his title back.
“I have done a lot of good work in the UFC, and if them even thinking that it’s my last fight and allowing me to fight in that position (for the title), shows good faith,” Cormier said. “Obviously they have a plan in place of what happens after I win my belt back (and retire), because I’m going to. I’m going to win the last fight and then I’ll have the championship. But the reality is, they trust me enough and my decision-making to give me that opportunity, and trust enough of the good work I’ve done in and for this company to allow me to have this opportunity. So I feel great.”
Daniel Cormier knows it could take at least half a year before he gets to settle his trilogy with UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic.
WASHINGTON – [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] would prefer to close out his UFC heavyweight title trilogy with Stipe Miocic as soon as possible, but has already accepted he has no control over the timeline.
Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC), the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, will meet Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in the final fight of his decorated MMA career sometime in 2020. After winning the first meeting in at UFC 226 in July 2018, “DC” dropped the belt in the rematch at UFC 241 in August.
Miocic suffered an eye injury in his title win that required surgery, though, and he’s still recovering. Cormier said that likely puts them on an early summer timeline.
“There’s no time for us to fight until maybe June,” Cormier told MMA Junkie. “The way the UFC quarterly schedule is looking, the UFC essentially, with them announcing Tony (Ferguson) and Khabib (Nurmagomedov) for April, there’s really no time. We’re going to be waiting a little bit.”
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The thing for Cormier is that time is of the essence. He’ll turn 41 in March, and for much of his career he said he’d never fight past 40. Back surgery ultimately delayed his original retirement plan, but he said the next clash with Miocic will be his final octagon appearance no matter the result.
Cormier said he’s feeling in tip-top shape now, and while he could easily jump into a camp and be ready to go in the next few months, he didn’t express much frustration over a potential half-year wait.
“It’s tricky,” Cormier said. “I would like it to happen sooner than later, that’s all I would like to say. I feel like the more time I get away from last year’s back surgery, the better I feel, and I’m starting to really feel like myself now. The further I get away from this surgery, the better I’ll be. They told me when I did it, after about a year is when it would really start to feel everything was back in order and I’m starting to feel that now.
“I’m ready to go, but he’s the champ. He’s the champ, he makes the rules. So I’m on standby and I’m waiting to see when this guy says that we’re going to fight. When he does, I’ll be prepared. I’ll be ready – even more prepared than the last time because I feel I can prepare better from the very start right now.”
Although there’s been a number of trilogies over the course of UFC history, Cormier and Miocic is among the most unique. For Miocic, all three fights will come consecutively, making him the first in UFC history to fight the same opponent three times in a row.
For Cormier, it will be his third encounter with Miocic in his past four, with the lone outlier being a short-notice title defense vs. Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 in November 2018. It’s a compelling dynamic, and Cormier said he’s going to do everything in his power to be prepared for it, including working with boxing legend George Foreman.
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“I had that Derrick Lewis stop in between, but I didn’t even get to train for that,” Cormier said. “I fought on three weeks’ (notice), so we’re pretty much in the same situation. I think what’s great for me is in five rounds of fighting I’ve won the vast majority of those rounds. That’s what feels good for me in my preparation. There are some things I need to change. Obviously he did a great job of adjusting and punching me in the body last time, and that’s what ultimately won him the fight. But I’ve already started to take the steps to try to improve that.
“I’m working with George Foreman now, and he showed me some tips to help with the boxing. The reality is it’s all boxing. Stipe isn’t kicking me very much, he’s punching and punching and I’m punching and wrestling. I’ve started to work on some things to try to shore up that issue that caused me so many problems last time.”
After trading knockouts in their first two meetings, Cormier vowed to defeat Miocic in the trilogy, regain the heavyweight title and exit the sport on top. He’s just waiting to find out the time and place, and once it’s official, he promises to be ready.
“I think Stipe and I have a fantastic rivalry,” Cormier said. “I won the first fight in tremendous fashion, he won the second fight in tremendous fashion. I feel like we’ve had the first two acts of a three-act drama and we have to do the trilogy fight and eventually we’re going to do that.”
MMA can be crazy to follow and watch, but there’s a lot to be thankful for in this sport we love.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hopefully you’re enjoying today – or you will or you have depending on when you read this – with family and loved ones.
We know mixed martial arts can be crazy to watch and follow this at times – actually often. But that’s why we love it. Isn’t it? With that in mind, may we present to you what we’re thankful for in MMA this Thanksgiving.
Thank you …
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To the fighters, for their time
The athletes in MMA are the reason this whole thing exists. They fuel everything in the industry, are the reason this website exists, and it’s an honor to have a part in telling their stories.
While every minute of time over the phone, at a media day, an open workout, and all the other platforms is appreciated, there were two particularly special moments for me in 2019.
The first was at UFC 241 media day in August, when, after nearly an hour of interviews, [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] was being pulled away from the media day stage by UFC public relations staff. But ‘DC’ saw me and cameraman Dave Mandel waiting in line and told the PR team to allow him one final interview with us. It’s hard to express how much that meant.
A special shout-out also goes to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], who offered up hours of interview time with MMA Junkie in the weeks leading up to his UFC 242 title-unification bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Poirier helped bring the “Dustin’s Diaries” series to life, and in addition to that, allowed John Morgan and I to conduct an elaborate pre-fight interview in Abu Dhabi just days before the event.
These fighters could easily just stick to the bare minimum in terms of media, only doing what the UFC requires as mandatory leading up to and during a fight week. Some do that. The overwhelming majority consistently go above and beyond, though, and there’s no better time than now to express gratitude.
– Mike Bohn
To MMA fans, for their dedication
I get paid to watch people kick each other in the head for a living. Some of my MMA media peers might bristle at reducing our jobs to this, because there’s so much more that goes into what we do. But at the end of the day, that’s really what it is, and the reason I get to do something I love is because of the passionate dedication of the sport’s fans. Being an MMA fan can be a chore. You stick with this through all the madness: the canceled fights, the fights that don’t deliver, the seven-hour cards, you name it. Without you, I’d have to get a real job, and that goes for anyone else who makes a living in some way related to MMA. So thanks for your passion, folks, and Happy Thanksgiving.
– Dave Doyle
To technology, for making work a little more enjoyable
My thankful-for-MMA list is short, but important. I considered putting the free serve-yourself fountain drink stations at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., as the top spot on my list – because that means, during Bellator events when I’m there, I get free Mtn Dew all night. But I’ll just consider that a fringe benefit and say what I’m most thankful for is that with only a few rare exceptions, when it comes to watching fights for work, I can do it almost exclusively from my phone. That means, if I don’t feel like leaving my home office to sit in front of the TV, I don’t have to – I can stream just about everything on my more-than-adequate 6-inch screen. If I need to work in the car while on a road trip while the Missus drives, I can do it. If I want to sit out on the back deck with the dogs during the fights, it’s a thing that can happen and has happened often. A few short years ago, this wasn’t the case. So thank you, technology, for making my work life infinitely more flexible.
– Matt Erickson
To the UFC’s Abu Dhabi deal, a great thing for the Middle East MMA scene
Khabib Nurmagomedov (red gloves) reacts after defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. (Per Haljestam, USA TODAY Sports)
I am thankful for the UFC finally bringing an event back to the Middle East. Being based here, the UFC’s five-year deal with Abu Dhabi that guarantees a title fight means big events for the region and an opportunity for the sport to grow.
Being on this side of the world, in a market that barely knows anything about MMA, the UFC making the annual visit will certainly garner more interest in the region and grow the overall MMA scene. As a journalist, this will obviously give me more to work with in my region, as well as being able to provide young fighters that continue to struggle to get their name out on a platform.
I am very grateful that I got to cover my first UFC event with MMA Junkie at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, which will forever stick as a memorable moment in my career.
– Farah Hannoun
To better UFC start times and pacing, what a relief
What am I thankful for this MMA Thanksgiving? There are a lot of things, many of which I’ve been thankful for year in and year out. Don’t believe me? How about the fighters, coaches, managers, and others who lend me time, being able to cover the combat sport I love – stuff I don’t take for granted.
So, I tried to think, what’s something new I’m thankful for? Something fresh in 2019?
I’m thankful for the UFC’s implementation of viewer-friendly pacing and East Coast-friendly start times. I know there will be many international readers who roll their eyes at this – and maybe even a colleague or two or three (sorry, Simon, Abbey, and Farah!). But let us East Coasters have our fun. Plus, we all get to enjoy the departure of that horrendous FOX Sports pacing. I wouldn’t have wished that on my worst enemy. Let’s hope this keeps up!
Happy Thanksgiving,Junkie Nation!
– Nolan King
To a special kind of PED, for a super necessary boost
I have to offer a confession. I am a user of PEDs – Performance Enhancing Drinks. Espresso, to be precise. It’s the hot beverage equivalent of attaching your brain to a set of jump leads and, as one of MMA Junkie’s two resident Brits, having the Nespresso machine in my kitchen primed and ready for every fight night is, as Jorge Masvidal would say, “super necessary.”
A standard UFC pay-per-view show starts at around 11:30 p.m. here in the U.K., with the main card kicking off at 3 a.m.. By the time the fights are over, and I’ve watched the post-fight press conference, it’s past 7 in the morning. It means my body clock is in absolute shambles and tends to remain so throughout the week. It’s also probably why I never seem to suffer from jet lag after I visit the U.S. I live on GMT, but work on EST, and that’s why I need the aforementioned PEDs.
And, thanks to the life-giving properties of the maximum-strength espresso pods I have in my kitchen cupboard, I’ve never crashed out and missed a main event. And I’m very grateful for that.
To weight-cutting on the decline, because fighter safety is priority No. 1
This year, I’m grateful for many things in MMA, but the one I’m most grateful for is the continuous change in fighter perspective towards weight-cutting. For some time now, fighters have started to compete closer to their natural weights, and this year was no exception.
The idea of killing yourself to cut down seems more archaic as time goes by. It’s a trend I hope continues in 2020, as fighter safety is the most important priority in our sport. This also serves as a good example for future generations that look to compete in MMA. And, yes, Darren Till is finally at middleweight!
– Danny Segura
To … work?
I’m grateful for MMA Junkie.
Now, it sounds like an easy out to praise your workplace, but I can honestly say this site has been part of my life, in some shape or form, for the last decade. Whether I was an MMA fan, competitor or contributor, MMA Junkie (and eventually the people behind the brand) has always been a reliable resource to me – in many ways – throughout all the highs and lows of the last 10 years.
I’m lucky enough to now find myself working alongside these special individuals, and this job in itself has allowed me opportunities to make friends with other fantastic colleagues and followers of the sport – something that quietly becomes important when you spend a big chunk of your week-to-week life covering MMA. And for that, I am grateful.
– Dan Tom
To the UFC for their new year-end schedule
Listen, when it comes to being a hardcore, I’m right there with any of you. Over-saturation? I can’t stand when people talk about it. Give me MMA every day of the year. That said, I’m loving the UFC’s decision to nix the traditional year-end event (a decision made more from the fine folks at ESPN, as per my understanding).
As a Las Vegas resident, I cover all of the UFC’s events here in town, which has usually meant working intensely on the week of Christmas. Honestly, I’m not much of a sentimental kind of guy, so I didn’t really care. But as my son is getting older, I’m beginning to realize the importance of setting aside those moments to create memories as a family, so I’m thankful for the UFC’s adjusted schedule. UFC 245 is going to be phenomenal, but it’s on Dec. 14 – not Dec. 28, when I would have expected it to take place had you asked me at the beginning of 2019.
There’s still some great MMA to be had at the end of the year, with Bellator and Rizin partnering to create a few great crossover cards, not to mention the PFL handing out a few more million-dollar checks, as well. But I’ll be watching those at home, hopefully with the little man alongside me, at least until it’s his bedtime. That will be a nice change this year.
In recent days, the UFC’s Jorge Masvidal and Stipe Miocic have expressed interest in facing Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury, respectively.
MMA stars may get the earlier start times, but it’s the top boxers who take home the more gratifying paychecks.
Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s biggest attraction, was reduced to playing second fiddle in the combat sports world when DAZN decided to delay his title fight against Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 2 to accommodate the UFC main event between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz that took place that same evening.
Critics ripped the streaming service for making it appear as though boxing was taking a backseat to the UFC. However, in at least one respect, it’s the other way around.
In the days after his technical decision over Diaz, Masvidal has been busy beating the drums for … an Alvarez fight. And Stipe Miocic, the UFC heavyweight champion, has floated the idea of reneging on a third fight with Daniel Cormier to face heavyweight contender Tyson Fury in a boxing match.
Notice a pattern yet?
It’s always the mixed martial artist clamoring to fight the boxer and seldom vice versa. For good reason. As has been well documented, the top boxers earn far more than their UFC counterparts. And there’s something about the crossover appeal that gets people to take out their wallets, as the 2017 pay-per-view bonanza – all 4.3 million buys – between UFC’s Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather demonstrated.
"I consider myself 10 times the athlete he is … I feel I could hurt this dude." @GamebredFighter had time for Canelo Alvarez today 👀- Lorenzo pic.twitter.com/bc8c7usQkT
If you’re Masvidal, why not push for an Alvarez fight? Crazier things have happened. A Canelo fight would represent by far the most lucrative opportunity in his career. Masvidal discussed a potential Canelo fight on the Dan Le Batard show on Tuesday.
“If he was to come to the MMA, it wouldn’t be a challenge,” Masvidal said. “I would throw 10,000 left high kicks and he hasn’t thrown one. It’s kind of the same thing in boxing, where if I’ve thrown a million jabs, he’s thrown 10 million because that’s all his focus is on, boxing.
“That being said, there’s still an element where I could put his ass to sleep. I’m actually bigger even though I may not hit harder, but definitely bigger, and I consider myself 10 times the athlete he is, just because of MMA in general, all the strength, speed that we have to generate. … I feel I could hurt this dude.”
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic expressed an interest fighting former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.
Despite their series being tied at one fight apiece, UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] isn’t interested in a trilogy against former champ [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag].
Instead of facing Cormier (22-2 MMA, 15-2 UFC) for a third time, Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) wants to taken on a different former champion – one outside of the MMA bubble.
In an interview with ESPN on Monday, Miocic made it clear he wants to fight boxing superstar Tyson Fury upon his return.
“I saw Tyson Fury is coming into the mix now here,” Miocic said. “I like a new challenge… With DC, I didn’t fluke knock him out – I beat him. I decisively beat him. Our first fight, congrats to DC. But he caught me with a punch in the first round.
“There was a lot going on in my mind that night. No excuses, but he beat me. The second fight I won. There’s no taking it away from me. I didn’t get lucky, I just straight outworked him.”
Throughout the interview, Miocic praised’s Fury’s abilities calling him a “good fighter” and a “good dude.” However, Miocic believes he has what it takes to defeated him inside the cage – or the boxing ring.
“He’s a talented fighter, so he’s definitely going to have good striking,” Miocic said. “But anyone can make a (30-second) highlight reel. It’s still good, but I can do that too.”
“… Definitely if he wants to step into the Octagon, I’ll love it. I’ll step in the ring. I’d love to box him. I would love to box him. He’s a great fighter. He’s a good dude and we’d put on a good show.”
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In fact, Miocic said the prospect of fighting Fury inside the ring was more intriguing to him than inside the cage. A new challenge, Miocic said, is what he’s striving for.
“It’s something new – something different,” Miocic said. “In mixed martial arts, there’s a lot more to go with. You’ve got a bunch of martial arts to work with. In boxing, we’d just go toe-to-toe and slug it out.”
Since he defeated Cormier at UFC 241 in August, Miocic underwent eye surgery. Miocic said he procedure was done to repair a retinal tear as a result of eye pokes sustained in the first two matchups against DC. He’s not sure exactly when, but he’s planning on a 2020 return.
“Probably multiple eye pokes from my last two fights,” Miocic said of why his eye was damaged. “Yeah, I mean it didn’t help my cause, but getting punched doesn’t help either.
“I got done with the fight seeing spots in my eye. I (saw things) I’ve never saw before. It just didn’t feel right. We actually went to the retinal doctor. He’s like, ‘Yeah, you have a tear in your retina.’ A little procedure will fix it up, so hopefully it’ll heal up and stay that way.”
Monday’s interview wasn’t the first we heard of Miocic wanting Fury in MMA. After Fury posted a video training elbows, knees, and takedown defense alongside former UFC title challenger Darren Till, Miocic issued a statement on Twitter.
