INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Stipe Miocic is going on a business trip to Southern California this summer, and he has only one thing on his mind heading across the country.
Miocic has no shortage of motivation heading into his rematch with Daniel Cormier for the UFC heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 241 at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, August 17, but none greater than getting back the title he lost at UFC 226 in Las Vegas last July.
“What’s more motivation for me is getting my belt back,” Miocic told WKYC.com at Strong Style MMA gym in Independence before a sparring session Thursday. “I like being called, ‘Champ,’ and it just sucks not having that belt, but like I said, we’re from Cleveland. We always have adversity. I’d like to get through it and get back on top.”
Despite taking a thumb to the left eye on an attempted shove from the challenger early in the bout, Miocic felt he was winning for much of the first round against Cormier in his fourth defense of the UFC heavyweight championship.
However, out of a clinch, Cormier faked an uppercut, came over the top with a right-handed strike and floored the defending champion. With Miocic on his back, Cormier pounced and landed multiple strikes before the referee called a stop to the contest.
“I’m a better fighter than him,” Miocic said of Cormier. “In every aspect of the game, I was a better fighter. I was faster, stronger, more conditioned. It happens. It’s the sport. We wear small gloves, and anything can happen.”
The August 17 bout with Cormier will be a chance for Miocic to settle some bad blood between the former and current champions.
In a Twitter rant in February, Cormier called out Miocic for remaining idle while he took a bout against Derrick Lewis to main-event the UFC’s annual early-November trip to Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Earlier that day, Cormier tweeted: “I don’t owe anyone s&*$!”
Cormier’s comments came just over a month after he left open the possibility of giving Miocic a rematch should a potential super-fight with former heavyweight king Brock Lesnar not materialize. Currently, Lesnar is contracted to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and there are reports the former champion told UFC officials recently that he would remain retired.
“I’m going to bring it to him,” Miocic said. “He’s going to get a lot of me. It’s going to suck for him.”
The record-holder for the most consecutive successful defenses of the UFC heavyweight championship, Miocic is 18-3-0 in his professional career heading into the Cormier rematch, including a 12-3 mark since joining the preeminent mixed martial arts organization.
Cormier is 22-1 with one no-contest in 24 professional bouts. The one no-contest was originally a knockout loss at the hands of Jon Jones in July of 2017, but a failed test gave the UFC light-heavyweight championship back to Cormier and set him on a path for a return to the heavyweight division.
Miocic plans on making Cormier’s record read: 22-2 come August.
“I’m going to show everyone that I’m the better fighter,” Miocic said. “That night was his night, and it will never happen again. He definitely won the lottery that night. Listen, I’m going to go out there and do me and I’m going to walk out with the belt.
“I’m walking out with the belt wrapped around my waist. There’s no question. No question.”