Today in MMA history: When Daniel Cormier created history by knocking Stipe Miocic out to become champ-champ

Daniel Cormier is among the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. In 2017, the former Olympic freestyle wrestler was still haunted by his two bouts with Jon Jones. The pair's first encounter not only led to a unanimous decision win in his rival's favor but also saw 'DC' concede his first takedowns in the cage.

Their rematch, while subsequently overturned into a no-contest, was still not a fond memory, as Cormier was knocked out by a head kick prior. He was in desperate need of something to legitimize his legacy in the eyes of the fans. On July 7, 2018, his moment came against heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

At the time, Daniel Cormier was still dogged by fans who declared him a paper champion at light heavyweight due to his history with Jon Jones. To separate himself from 'Bones,' 'DC' made a highly anticipated return to heavyweight, where he challenged Stipe Miocic for divisional supremacy.

Ahead of the bout, Cormier was supremely confident, as was Miocic himself. The pair finally locked horns at UFC 226. Cormier's hands were lightning-quick, and their power? Thunderous. Four minutes into the first round, he pulled Miocic into a single collar tie. It seemed to be nothing of note, just a clinching sequence.

However, Miocic always drops his left hand when he exits the clinch, exposing his chin. So when he tried to escape Cormier's grasp, he ate a massive right hook that crumpled him to the mat. A few follow-up punches later, and 'DC' was crowned the second simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history.

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Is Daniel Cormier in the UFC Hall of Fame?

While Daniel Cormier never reached the greatest of peaks in his wrestling career, falling just short of winning bronze in the 2004 Olympics, he did reach the summit of MMA excellence. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last year for his exploits inside the octagon and his rare status as a former UFC double champion.

He was inducted alongside other modern-day legends of the sport, including Georges St-Pierre, Ronda Rousey, Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans, and his close friend and American Kickboxing Academy teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov.