The best and worst from UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3
It started off slowly, but UFC 252 eventually built to a crescendo and gave UFC fans one of the better shows of 2020.
The show was obviously built around the third UFC Heavyweight title fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier, and while the duo went the distance this time, the fight lived up to the hype.
Meanwhile, we got the derailing of one hype train and perhaps the end of the line for an all-time great.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3.
#1 Best: Miocic proves he’s the best Heavyweight in UFC history
The build to last night’s main event saw the UFC suggesting that the winner of the third Stipe Miocic/Daniel Cormier fight would be considered the best Heavyweight in MMA history. I’m not so sure about that – the shadow of Fedor Emelianenko still looms greatly. But with his win last night it’s hard to dispute the idea that Miocic is the best in UFC history at least.
The fight last night was fascinating because both men attempted to use the elements that’d given them success in the earlier clashes. Cormier looked for the short right hook coming out of the clinch that won him the title at UFC 226 – and landed it numerous times. Miocic, on the other hand, continually attempted to break ‘DC’ down with body shots as he’d done at UFC 241.
In the end, both men landed some huge shots and hurt the other, but as the fight hit the latter stages, Miocic seemed just one step ahead. It was no real surprise when he saw his hand raised, giving him his fourth successful UFC title defense overall.
Can he keep the title when he rematches the surging Francis Ngannou at some point in the future? Only time will tell, but for now – with two wins over Cormier, as well as victories over Ngannou, Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, and Roy Nelson – he stands as the UFC’s greatest ever big man.
#1 Worst: Cormier’s run comes to an unfortunate end
Not many fighters leave the world of MMA on top – Georges St. Pierre is perhaps the only name that comes to mind. And while Daniel Cormier came close, in the end, he wasn’t able to retire as a UFC champion.
Cormier fought excellently last night. He gave Stipe Miocic all he had and even had him badly hurt in the first round. But once he was hurt by a series of right hands in the second round, he never really looked in control. And an eye poke at the end of the third round made matters even worse for him.
‘DC’ announced his retirement after the fight – a year later than he’d once promised to walk away – and so it’s hard not to look at his legacy this morning.
As one of the UFC’s few Double Champions, he’s definitely up there with the all-time greats. However, you can’t shake off the idea that he was never the dominant fighter in the UFC, essentially thanks to the presence of one Jon Jones, who beat ‘DC’ twice.
Things would’ve been very different had Cormier won last night, but unfortunately, the UFC isn’t fond of giving us fairytale endings.
Overall, Cormier can walk away with his head held high – but there’ll probably be a nagging voice in his head today asking “what if?”