Daniel Cormier became the newest UFC heavyweight champion and added the title to his light heavyweight title on Saturday night by stopping Stipe Miocic in dramatic fashion in the first round of their superfight at UFC 226. Cormier flattened UFC’s long-reigning heavyweight champ with a right elbow out of a clinch and with Miocic on the ground with 27 seconds left in the round, he added several shots to the defenseless champion’s head to ensure win.
Not done, Cormier engaged in bit of clearly planned theatrics with WWE champion Brock Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion himself. Cormier called Lesnar into the cage, and Lesnar shoved Cormier in the chest while the fighters traded insults to hype a potential future bout. “Push me now, (and) you’re going to sleep later,” Cormier yelled at Lesnar. “Your days are in the past. In the stone age.”
And that potential future bout could well be this year in what would be a blockbuster bout. As per Bleacher Report, Lesnar will face Cormier for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 230 on November 3 at Madison Square Garden. It had been reported prior the UFC 226 main event that Lesnar would face the eventual winner.
On Saturday, Cormier became the second fighter in UFC history to hold two championship belts at the same time. Conor McGregor was UFC’s featherweight champ in 2016 when he took the lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez.
Cormier, 39, has never lost to anyone except Jon Jones, and his five-inch height disadvantage against Miocic proved to be no problem.