Cormier (21-1, 1 no contest...after Jon Jones failed yet another post-fight drug test) moved back up to heavyweight to take on the near-unstoppable Miocic. Miocic had not lost in over three years in the UFC, en route to winning the championship in May 2016, and defending it a UFC-Heavyweight record three times.
For all the heavyweight champions the UFC has bolstered over the years (Frank Mir, Randy Couture, Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, etc.), Miocic broke a record none of them were ever able to. When every UFC weight class who does not have a champion named Demetrious Johnson has passed the belt around at a breakneck pace, Miocic took his division to heights it had yet to achieve.
Cormier came in with a 7.5” reach disadvantage, and four years the elder of the champion. Say what you want about the eye pokes, whether incidental or intentional. Miocic has been shown to be rocked with a big shot in many of his title defenses, and Cormier landed a picture-perfect shot coming out of the clinch to set up the finish.
The 39-year-old (now) two-division champion has never shied away from speaking his mind after a fight, win or loss. He took repeated shots at Jones while the disgraced former champion sits at home with his latest performance-enhancing drug-related suspension. He was humble, and cried in the cage after Jones gave him the worst beating of his career in the bout where he lost the title. Saturday night, he was as happy as any point in his career, muffling the microphone while bear-hugging Joe Rogan.
In steps Brock Lesnar moments before Miocic and Cormier entered the arena. Lesnar, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, and current WWE Universal Champion, has not fought in the UFC since July 2016, when his victory over Mark Hunt was overturned when he failed a post-fight drug test. Lesnar was announced that he would get the winner of Miocic and Cormier.
What is it about Cormier that the UFC wants to set him up to fight guys in title bouts who cannot compete clean? The sight of Cormier sitting atop the octagon with a belt over his shoulder and a belt around his waist should be the image that defines his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. However, it may be that the most lasting impression is the video of his reaction when told by UFC President Dana White that Jones failed a drug test just days before their rematch at UFC 200 (April 2016).
How does Lesnar get Cormier, and Curtis Blaydes get passed over? Blaydes (10-1, 1 NC) is on a four-fight winning streak, and it would have been six, had he not tested positive for weed following his win over Adam Milstead in February 2017. Blaydes turned Alistair Overeem into a bloody mess at UFC 225 last month, and should be the number one contender. Francis Ngannou was beaten by Derrick Lewis, and subsequently booed out of the building on Saturday night. Lewis had back issues going into the fight, so his performance gets a pass. Ngannou admitted he was still tentative after Miocic cleaned his clock during their title bout back in January.
Lesnar cannot fight until at least January 2019, as he still has a six-month suspension to serve after his violation. He will be 41 later this week, and has no business being in the same breath with guys like Couture or Dan Henderson, who were fighting for titles in their 40s.
The post-fight interaction between Cormier and Lesnar was ridiculous, and scripted. Lesnar did not have Paul Heyman or Vince McMahon writing his script, and it showed. Here’s hoping January is the final chapter of Lesnar taking UFC opportunities away from fighters who can stay clean, and actually earn them.
-JC24