Tag: UFC 226

UFC 252 free fight: Daniel Cormier knocks out Stipe Miocic to become dual-champ

Ahead of their rubber match on Aug. 15, relive Daniel Cormier’s finish over Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.

[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.

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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.

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KOs, chaos and controversy: 5 moments that rocked UFC ‘International Fight Week’

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head looks back at five memorable moments from UFC “International Fight Week” down the years.

The UFC’s annual MMA celebration, “International Fight Week,” is one of the most keenly-awaited moments of the year, as the promotion stacks the deck with multiple title fights and, sometimes, multiple cards in Las Vegas for a full week of fan-friendly events, capped off by a stacked show (or two or three).

This year’s “International Fight Week” was supposed be this week, but the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic put those plans on the shelf. The UFC instead  is in Abu Dhabi for a 14-day, four-event run on Yas Island.

“International Fight Week” has certainly produced some remarkable memories down the years, so here at The Blue Corner we’ve taken a look back to pick out some of the biggest moments served up by the UFC’s annual summer jamboree.

Here, in chronological order, are five UFC “International Fight Week” moments that will live long in the memory.

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2013: Weidman starches Silva at UFC 162

[autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] was on top of the world heading into Las Vegas in 2013. “The Spider” arrived in Las Vegas riding a 17-fight winning streak. He’d defended the UFC middleweight title 10 times and had even found time to jump up to light heavyweight and score a trio of impressive finishes, including stoppages of “TUF 1” legends Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.

It seemed as if Silva could do no wrong, but when he stepped into the octagon at the Mandalay Bay to take on the unbeaten New Yorker [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag], few could have predicted the outcome.

Silva looked loose and confident. Overconfident, as it turned out. While the champion clowned and taunted Weidman, the young challenger stayed composed as he refused to be goaded into opening up by the Brazilian. Then, just moments after Silva had waved him in and pretended to be hurt by a punch, Weidman found Silva’s chin and hit the jackpot.

A huge left hand landed perfectly on Silva’s chin and dropped the champion hard. He looked almost done at that point, but Weidman wasn’t taking any chances and pounced on “The Spider” to finish the fight with heavy ground strikes. It left the MMA world stunned as the man painted by some as an untouchable champion was finally beaten, and in emphatic fashion, too.

Weidman’s knockout victory still ranks as one of the most stunning upsets ever seen in a UFC championship fight and it elicited a classic – and true – quote from Joe Rogan, who said, “You can’t play games in the octagon.”

Silva found that out to his cost, and the Brazilian legend has never held UFC championship gold since.

Next up: A rising star goes stratospheric

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UFC 246 free fight: Anthony Pettis submits Michael Chiesa at UFC 226

Recap the action as Anthony “Showtime” Pettis reminded the world of his superb submission skills as he finished Michael Chiesa at UFC 226.

The UFC International Fight Week clash between former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] in 2018 was one of the most intriguing matchups of the stacked UFC 226 card. And, after a little weigh-in drama in the buildup to the fight when Chiesa missed weight, Pettis showcased his at-times underrated submission skills to finish the noted submission specialist at T-Mobile Arena.

Chiesa’s preferred path to victory was no secret heading into the matchup, and “Maverick” went to work straight away as he scored an early takedown on the former champion. But Pettis quickly bounced back up and went to work with his striking as he found his range with his punches and low leg kicks.

The second round saw Chiesa again try to close the distance on “Showtime”, but Pettis hurt his man with a thumping body kick, then dropped him with a stinging right hand.

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The former lightweight champ then went for a guillotine choke, but when Chiesa escaped and ended up on top, things didn’t look good for Pettis. But, despite seemingly being in the worst possible spot against a big, strong submission specialist, the Milwaukee man pulled a rabbit from his hat as he locked up a triangle armbar that left Chiesa with no option but to tap, then go to his rival and tell him: “Good job,” as he acknowledged Pettis’ submission skills.

Recap “Showtime’s” submission finish of Chiesa in the video above.

Pettis returns to action on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas when he takes on Brazilian Diego Ferreira in the main card opener at UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena.

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