Stipe Miocic has joined rarified air among UFC Heavyweight Champion.
At UFC 211, Stipe Miocic defeated former champion Junior Dos Santos via knockout in the first round, tying the record for consecutive title defenses at two. Out of the fifteen fighters to be heavyweight champion, Miocic became the fifth to defend his title for a consecutive second time. While taking damaging leg kicks from Dos Santos, Miocic pressured his opponent up against the cage and landed what would be finishing punches. Fightful MMA's David Tees provided live coverage during the bout and the following is an excerpt of his play-by-play for UFC 211.
Round One: The round begins with Miocic attacking Dos Santos with leg kicks, the fighters pepper each other with jabs. The fighters also start trading some leg kicks, Miocic attacks a backing Dos Santos with a punching combination. Miocic eats some kicks before nailing Dos Santos with a few rights, Miocic chases Dos Santos while landing a few rights. Miocic rocks a moving Dos Santos with a pair of hooks to the face, Miocic drops Dos Santos with a right and he pounces on him with more strikes until the referee jumps in.Official Result: Stipe Miocic def. #4 Junior Dos Santos by TKO via strikes (2:22, R1) to retain the UFC Heavyweight Title
The only other heavyweights to reach two defenses were Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, and Cain Velasquez. The victory was the fifth in a row for Miocic and put his overall record at 17-2. In the post-fight interview, the thirty-four year old Miocic, said he had no fighters in mind for his next defense.
