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Oklahoma State alum Daniel Cormier will defend his UFC heavyweight championship in a rematch against Stipe Miocic in the main event at the UFC 241 pay-per-view Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) delivered a knockout punch to Miocic (18-3) to win the heavyweight title at UFC 226 in July 2018, and become only the second fighter in UFC history to hold titles in multiple divisions simultaneously. Cormier’s lone official loss is to Jon Jones in 2015. The 40-year-old Cormier has said he could retire after his fight against Miocic.
Cormier, a two-time All-American wrestler at OSU and two-time Olympian, made history again in November 2018, when he submitted Derrick Lewis with a rear-naked choke to become the first fighter to successfully win and defend the light heavyweight and heavyweight belts. Cormier is also the first double champion to successfully defend both belts. He later relinquished the light heavyweight title prior to UFC 232.
Miocic, meanwhile, has not fought since his loss to Cormier in the champion vs. champion superfight and waited for Cormier to be healthy to set up a rematch. Prior to the loss, Miocic won six straight fights with half of them being title defenses for the UFC’s record for most consecutive title defenses by a heavyweight champion.
Both fighters come into Saturday’s bout lighter than their first bout. Cormier weighed in at 236.5 pounds, and Miocic stepped on the scale at 230.5 pounds at Friday’s weigh-ins.
Cormier weighed 246.5 pounds and 251.2 pounds in his last two bouts, while Miocic was 242.5 pounds in his first match against Cormier. It’s the lightest Miocic has ever weighed for a UFC fight, with his previous low at 236 pounds for his UFC debut in 2011.
Additional preview stories/videos
[MMA Fighting: Cormier vs. Miocic rematch is pure battle of legacy]
[ESPN: Fighting Cormier in clinch could spell doom for Miocic]
How to watch
What: UFC 241
Who: Cormier vs. Miocic 2
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17
Where: Honda Center; Anaheim, California
Main card: ESPN+ PPV ($59.99)