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Cormier will challenge the heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic one more time before he bids farewell to the sport of MMA. The first encounter between these two heavyweight elites marked an iconic moment in UFC's history as Daniel Cormier become a two-division champion by beating Miocic.
The second encounter between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic was one of the most exciting title fights in heavyweight history. But, in the end, Miocic proved his mettle and overcome the early adversities to secure the victory. Now the fans await the trilogy that will determine the greatest heavyweight fighter in UFC. Even though both are highly accomplished after a long career there are some takeaways from the last two encounters that will help us determine the favorite going into the trilogy.
In the first fight, Daniel Cormier moved up to the heavyweight division to fight the champion. After defending his title against heavyweight contenders such as Francis Ngannou and Alistair Overeem, Stipe Miocic had the momentum going into the fight against Daniel Cormier. However, Cormier shocked the world, knocking out Miocic in the first round.
The first fight only lasted for 4:33 mins. Though DC and Miocic both landed some significant strikes DC was winning the round until the knockout.
Takeaways from the rematch between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic
Now there is a notion that DC dominated Miocic in the second fight until the 4th round. However, the fight was starting to get competitive. Cormier had some big moments with his striking and landed some heavy shot. However, he was getting tired as the rounds progressed.
Even Stipe Miocic got a big takedown over Daniel Cormier in the third round. He also had DC backed up against the cage in the third round. Miocic was looking more fresh while Cormier's striking looked more labored. Cormier addressed this issue in a recent interview on ESPN and said that he could not train properly for the rematch.
DC's cardio might be a big factor in the trilogy if he decides to wrestle Miocic for five rounds. Though Miocic is not as good as DC on the ground he is going to defend a lot of takedowns early in the fight. However, Daniel Cormier will have the upper hand when it comes to wrestling.
In the striking department, both are two fo the best in the business. Both have vicious knockout power. We saw DC knock out Miocic in the first and that can happen again. On the other hand, Miocic is a legit heavyweight who has competed in the heavyweight division for his entire life. So neither DC or Miocic has a power advantage over the other.
Stipe Miocic will need to use his reach while Daniel Cormier will need to cover the distance and involve in the dirty boxing. If the striking becomes a phone booth fight then it favors Daniel Cormier as we saw in the first fight when he knocked out Miocic in the clinch. But, Miocic can pick DC apart from a distance.
After looking at both fights between the two, it's hard not to give the upper hand to Daniel Cormier as he has won the majority of the first two fights. Both are pretty even when it comes to striking with Miocic being a better striker. But, the wrestling of DC gives him a massive advantage.
Although DC should be a favorite in the trilogy it would not be wise to overlook the most accomplished heavyweight of all time.
