Stipe Miocic andDaniel Cormier fought the third and final installment of their historicUFC heavyweight championship trilogy behind-closed-doors at the UFC Apex on Saturday.- It was a bout which Miocic won with a deserved unanimous decision verdict, however, Cormier may have felt aggrieved at having to fight more than two rounds with impaired vision.
- In the third round, Miocic poked Cormier in the eye so hard that the American wrestler said he couldn't see out of it for the rest of the fight. "It's black [where it should be vision]," Cormier said.
- There will be no shortage of contenders wanting to fight Miocic, who said he will relax, spend time with his family, and drink beer "for days" after extending his title run.
Dan Cormier was eye-poked so hard during a UFC heavyweight loss to Stipe Miocic he said he now can't see out of it.
"I couldn't even f------ [see]," Cormier said of the mid-fight injury. "I couldn't see the rest of the fight. I can't see anything out of my left eye … it's black. It is what it is. It doesn't matter."
Cormier and Miocic have fought three times in the last two years, with the American wrestler winning the first fight by knockout in 2018 only to lose the rematch by stoppage the following the year.
The weekend's bout provided a conclusive end to the historic UFC heavyweight title trilogy, one Miocic won decisively with judges' scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 on the night.
The third installment of the saga — the only one to go the five-round championship distance — was a competitive fight, backed by UFC statistics which showed Miocic landed 171 of his 244 strikes (70%) compared to Cormier's 145 from 223 (65%). Cormier also completed one of two takedowns.
Cormier enjoyed early success in the fight with big power, a contrast to Miocic's accuracy and efficiency, who eventually dropped Cormier in the second with a mighty blow to the jaw.
After a third-round eye-poke from Miocic (who received a poke himself in the first), Cormier was second-best more often than not, surrendering ascendancy whenever he was against the fence of the Apex's small, 25-foot cage.
It will always be impossible to know whether Cormier would have been able to steal momentum and win an extra round or two had it not been for the eye-poke. He complained it was something which hampered his ability to see — let alone strike, defend, and wrestle.
"I told Marc [Goddard, the referee] that he poked me, but he said he thought it was a punch," Cormier said.
"After the fight, he said he saw the replay … I just can't see out of my left eye. Whatever. It sucks being on the losing end of two big fights, a trilogy, but I will deal with it."
Later on the ESPN broadcast, the UFC analyst Jon Anik provided an update regarding Cormier's eye.
"I am being relayed some things second-hand on Daniel Cormier," Anik said. "They don't know the extent of the eye injury, but I am being told there is a tear in his left eye."
Stipe Miocic will celebrate victory by drinking beer 'for days'
Said Miocic, who has increased his record of most title defenses in UFC heavyweight history (four), said: "It was a real close fight."
Miocic will not be short of contenders to fight him next, including the long-reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who could move up a division and challenge for his crown.
But Miocic said he's in no rush to compete again. He will enjoy time with his family and celebrate his upcoming 38th birthday.
"It's my birthday on the 19th [August]," Miocic said. "Modelos [beer] for days."
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