Daniel Cormier to face Stipe Miocic in superfight at UFC 226

A superfight between UFC champions Daniel Cormier, a former Oklahoma State All-American wrestler, and Stipe Miocic will headline UFC 226 on July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The UFC announced the bout Friday.

Cormier (20-1), the UFC light heavyweight champion, will move up in weight to face Miocic (18-2). Before headlining UFC 226, Cormier and Miocic will serve as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, which will feature cast members with undefeated records.

If Cormier wins he would become only the second UFC fighter to become champion in two different weight classes at the same time, and fifth fighter in all to be crowned a two-division UFC champion. Cormier would also be the first to have successfully defended his current title before claiming a second title at the same time.

Cormier and Miocic are only seven days removed from defending their belts at UFC 220 in Boston. Miocic defeated Francis Ngannou via unanimous decision in the main event, while Cormier won via second-round TKO against Volkan Oezdemir in the co-main. The 35-year-old Miocic set a new UFC record for the most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with his victory.

Cormier is no stranger to the heavyweight division. He was 13-0 in the division before moving down to the light heavyweight division. His only loss is against Jon Jones at light heavyweight at UFC 182 in 2015. Cormier intends to retire by his 40th birthday — March 20, 2019.

If Cormier wins, it looks like his American Kickboxing Academy teammate and two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has an idea on what could be next.