Daniel Cormier justifies accidental eye-pokes against Stipe Miocic, says he's not doing it on purpose

Daniel Cormier is set to conclude his trilogy with Stipe Miocic and his legendary MMA career at UFC 252, as he goes for the Heavyweight Championship one last time. Perhaps the only "controversy" in Daniel Cormier's two fights against Stipe Miocic is the fact that he was responsible for eye pokes on both occasions.

Interestingly enough, it wasn't too long after Daniel Cormier's eye poke in the first fight when he knocked out Miocic. In the second instance, it affected Miocic, but not enough as the Croatian-American became the second man to finish Daniel "DC" Cormier.

On the DC & Helwani show on ESPN, Daniel Cormier addressed the eye pokes, saying (H/T BJPENN.com):

“The reality is I know I’m not doing it to the guy on purpose. I have been trying to fix it. Part of the reason why it was happening, I’m not as tall as these guys,” Daniel Cormier said on DC & Helwani. “So when I’m sparring these big guys sometimes I’ll flick out my hand because I’m wearing a 16-ounce glove and I’ll kind of hit them but it is almost like slapping them. But, then, when you do that with the four-ounce gloves, to extend yourself, there are no finger covers. So, it kind of sucks all of a sudden, I’m this dirty fighter. That is not the case.”

Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic's last stand and the future of the Heavyweight division

UFC 252 will be historic as Daniel Cormier plans to retire whether he wins or loses. If he wins, it's going to cause a stir in the Heavyweight division. However, it will finally open the door for the heavyweight who deserves a title shot more than anyone - Francis Ngannou.

Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou are unlikely to meet, so it looks like the future of the Heavyweight division will eventually be determined by Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou.