It’s the Right Time for Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier

For years, the UFC struggled to put together champion vs. champion super fights. They passed on opportunities to settle debate about Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre, or Silva vs. Jon Jones. To date, the two champion vs. champion matches in company history only happened because of a strong desire from popular lower-weight champions (BJ Penn and Conor McGregor) to chase double gold.

Now, in an era where decisions are influenced by strikingly high interest payments on debt taken out to purchase the UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion may host as many as three champion vs. champion bouts this summer.

Men’s bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw moving down for a crack at flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson appears to be a sure thing. UFC has also put plans in motion for women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, short on fresh contenders at 135, to fight featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who lords over a division of one.

UFC made the third super fight official on Friday. Light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will return to the heavyweight division to challenge Stipe Miocic, the most successful heavyweight champion in company history. It’s an excellent fight with major historical implications, and if it was going to happen, this was the right time to do it.

Miocic and Cormier made successful championship defenses on January 20 at UFC 220. Miocic went into what most talked about as the best heavyweight title match in at least five years and handled the top contender with little trouble after the first round. Before that, Cormier returned from what could have been a career-changing knockout and didn’t miss a beat, taking out overmatched contender Volkan Oezdemir within two rounds.

In Miocic’s division, the only exciting fresh challenger is Cain Velasquez, who is coming up on two years of inactivity and will likely need one more win to get him to a title shot. Of all active heavyweights, Fabricio Werdum has the best case for a shot, but his two-fight win streak isn’t overpowering, and the memory his May 2016 knockout loss to Miocic still lingers.

Cormier is champion of what used to be sport’s marquee division, but not enough new talent emerged to take the place of the old guard. At the top, Jon Jones, Cormier, and probably Alexander Gustafsson are the best fighters in light heavyweight history, but there is very little depth underneath them.

Of his top contenders, Cormier has already defeated Gustafsson in a razor-close fight. Gustafsson is the rightful next contender for the belt and a real threat to take it from Cormier. The only thing that kept him from the spot is demonstrable fan interest in the fight.

Below Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira is the only elite light heavyweight of this era that Cormier hasn’t fought, but Teixeira has convincingly lost two of his last four bouts to fighters Cormier has beaten. Underneath Teixeira, there are no viable contenders that have a solid shot at beating Cormier.

With the slate of challengers thin, it’s the best time for a fight like Miocic vs. Cormier. Both are special fighters that have achieved greatness, and the battle between them allows both the opportunity to add a significant accomplishment to their name.

In six consecutive wins over top heavyweights, Miocic has separated himself from every other heavyweight in UFC history for the time being, and finds himself chasing the legacy of Fedor Emelianenko. In Cormier, he fights one of the best fighters of this or any era. A convincing victory for Miocic would be a major feather in his cap.

For the past several years, it appeared that a key portion of Daniel Cormier’s legacy would hinge on whether he defeated Jon Jones. That remains largely true, but Jones’s failures outside the cage have allowed Cormier to create a new path in his legacy that exists separately from Jones.

If Cormier can defeat Miocic to capture the heavyweight championship, he enters another level in the discussion as one of the greatest fighters of all-time. That level is currently occupied by only four or five elite greats, and it speaks volumes about Cormier that he could arrive there having fallen short in the two biggest fights of his career.

It will be anything but easy for Cormier. He gives up six inches in height and seven or eight inches in reach to perhaps the biggest power puncher he’s ever faced. On top of that, Cormier is hittable, and has gotten himself into trouble by leaning into shots. Miocic is also a good wrestler and has been quick to return to his feet after being taken down.

On the other side, Miocic has never faced a wrestler of Cormier’s caliber. Although Cormier has been rocked in multiple fights (and knocked out against Jones), he takes a good punch. Cormier pressures opponents and pushes a pace that Miocic doesn’t see at heavyweight. If the fight extends into the fourth and fifth rounds, Cormier should have the conditioning advantage.

Miocic vs. Cormier is a well-matched, intriguing clash between two elite fighters with a chance to add something special to their already rich resumes. What more could you ask for?

Dan Plunkett has covered MMA for 411Mania since 2008. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Dan_Plunkett.