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Daniel Cormier put up an incredible performance over Stipe Miocic at UFC 252. However, the former Champion failed to win back the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Cormier lost the fight via unanimous decision. Stipe Miocic put up a brilliant display of striking and took down Daniel Cormier, out-scoring him in the judges' scorecards to pick up the victory. He dominated Cormier and landed several significant strikes on the former Champion. Stipe Miocic landed several body shots and dismantled Daniel Cormier with brutal leg kicks. It was a close fight. Both the fighters exchanged punches on multiple occasions throughout the five rounds of the fight and with the win, Stipe Miocic has cemented his position as the greatest fighter in the heavyweight division.
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Stipe Miocic has notable victories over former Champions, and with back to back victories over former dual Champion Daniel Cormier, Miocic will likely top the list of many, for the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. Daniel Cormier started the fight on a great note. He made great use of his feet and was able to mix well. He threw several jabs at Miocic and landed a significant takedown in the very first round, however, Cormier did accidentally poke Miocic's eye in the first round of the fight. However, it's safe to assume that if Cormier's accidental eye poke was a hill, Miocic's eye poke at the end of the third round was a mountain.
How much did the eye poke affect Daniel Cormier in his fight against Stipe Miocic?
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Daniel Cormier was faring well against someone as deadly as Stipe Miocic. With the first round in his pocket, Cormier came into the second round with guns blazing. He threw early and connected several before engaging in a trade with Stipe Miocic. It was evident that Miocic's shots were heavier. However, it's interesting to note that according to UFC stats, Stipe Miocic only landed 10 more significant strikes than Daniel Cormier. Miocic connected 115 out of the 187 shots thrown, while Cormier connected 105 from the 183 shots he threw at the Heavyweight Champion.
While the third round ended with Stipe Miocic giving a major beating to the former Champion towards the end of the second round, the third round could have gone either way. However, it was at the end of the third round that an accidental brutal eye poke would leave Daniel Cormier with no vision in his left eye. The referee failed to notice the accidental eye poke, and no points were deducted from Stipe Miocic's corner.
Daniel Cormier could have finished Stipe Miocic if not for the brutal eye poke
Daniel Cormier was looking solid until the third round. Despite some solid punches, Cormier had done enough damage on Stipe Miocic to capitalize on the Championship rounds. Quite evidently, Daniel Cormier entered inside the octagon as a compromised fighter and paid the price against someone as credible as Stipe Miocic.
While it's a given that Daniel Cormier would have fared better without the eye poke, it's incredibly impressive of Cormier to last the final bell against someone like Stipe Miocic. Daniel Cormier came ready to exchange and looked in great shape in the lead up to the fight. Cormier was able to defend six takedowns from Stipe Miocic across the five rounds. If we look at the number of significant strikes, it's impressive to see how close these numbers are. There's a case to be made that Daniel Cormier would have fared better in those numbers if not for the brutal eye poke. Cormier was able to land heavy shots even in the Championship rounds despite being compromised.
Cormier had connected several right hands on Miocic. He was also able to grab Miocic in a clinch and landed several elbows and punches. Cormier put up an equally brilliant performance against Stipe Miocic and could have been more proficient going forward in the Championship rounds. Both the fighters displayed granite chins which complimented their striking battle, however, the power and the volume of the shots were quite evident because of the empty arena. It was sooner or later one fighter would have found himself on the canvas. It's interesting to note that going forward in the fourth round and fifth round, the fight played out a lot differently than the first two. While one can argue that Miocic was adapting and winning rounds with clinch position, and also landing significant punches in the process, the fight lacked the fireworks it produced in the first three rounds.
Cormier managed well despite the lef eye and could have shifted to an even more offensive gear going forward in the Championship rounds. If we look at how the fight was going in the first three rounds, if not for the eye poke, it would have been fireworks in the last two. If that was the case, Daniel Cormier had an upper edge in knocking out Stipe Miocic. He showed no signs of stopping and was equally proficient in the latter rounds. With combined notable victories over some of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time in the form of Cain Velasquez, Fabricio Werdum, Francis Ngannou, Anthony Johnson, Alexander Gustaffson, and the list is endless. Regardless of the outcome of the fight, both Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will go down as two of the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
