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#5 Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic (UFC Heavyweight Championship)
Main event time!
Round 1: Inside leg kick from Miocic. Stipe looked like he wanted to keep his fight out of DC's reach. Inside followed by an outside leg kick from the champ. A cautious start from both men.
Stipe exercised some offensive patience. Cormier changed levels and shot for the single-leg takedown. Miocic showed some good takedown defence but DC was adamant. He hoisted Stipe up in the air. Stipe hung in mid-air, holding onto DC's back until he was slammed into the mat with authority. Elite level wrestling on display.
It was DC's round from here onwards as he pinned him down. Side control. seamless transitions. Hammer fists and short punches from the guard. Ground and pound at its finest, DC was all over Miocic. Miocic broke away in the end but DC held on with hammer fists to cape off a dominant round.
Round 2: Stipe with a jab and an inside leg kick. Good knee to the body from Stipe. He tried to keep the distance and use his reach. Good combination from Stipe. DC grabbed stipe and landed a few punches.
Big elbow from Cormier. DC kept pushing forward with his hands down. No respect from the champion. DC with two solid punches. Stipe answered with a string of punches. DC kept pressing forward and landed a few strikes. They clinched.
They broke up and began to exchange strikes again. DC with an eye poke that looked nasty. DC with a big right. Stipe got back with a right of his own. They clinched again for a few seconds. DC kept going. A big right from the top and an uppercut. Miocic with a big right to the ear of DC. The round ended with a head kick from DC.
Round 3: Stipe with a good shot to the body and an inside leg kick, Stipe shot for the takedown, but DC defended it and went for a head kick. DC kept up the volume but Stipe clinched and pushed DC against the cage,
Stipe with a knee to the body in the clinch. Stipe attempted a big spinning elbow. He followed up with a good combination. DC with the jabs. Solid body kick from DC. Stipe with a combination. DC with a nice right. Stipe clinched and landed a takedown. Knee to the body from Stipe. Miocic shot for another takedown. DC stuffed it.
DC pushed Stipe back. Solid combination from Stipe. Huge right from DC. Both men looked exhusted. Stipe landed a big right and DC countered with a couple of rights to end the round. That was a big round for Stipe.
Round 4: Championship round #1! Stipe with the jab and the inside leg kick. The former champion was controlling the centre of the Octagon and was the one pushing forward. Another good jab from Stipe. DC responded with a big left. Stipe with another jab. The jabs kept coming in from Stipe. Nice left to the body from Stipe. He followed it with a left hook. Clean striking from Stipe.
Another left body shot from Stipe. Good jab from DC. Stipe kept landing the left hooks to the body. DC connected with the rights. The left hooks to the body kept landing. DC with a big right. Left hook to the body followed by a straight right from Stipe.
Stipe weathered him down with another left hook to the body and then unleashed a brutal combination. 1-2. Three massive straight right-hand strikes. DC was out. Stipe applied the finishing touches as Herb Dean stepped in. And new!
Result: Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier via TKO (punches) (4:09, Round 4)
What a finish to UFC 241! Stipe Miocic deployed a brilliant game plan in the fourth round, wore DC down with the body shots to the liver and took advantage of the opening to put Cormier to sleep. Your new Heavyweight Champion of the world. Stipe is back and how!
DC alluded to retiring from the sport in his post-fight interview and said that he would talk to his wife and make an educated decision regarding his future.
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