Following Daniel Cormier's first round knockout of Stipe Miocic at the Main Event at UFC 226 in Las Vegas last Saturday night, many people are calling the 39-year-old, two-division UFC Champion the greatest fighter in the game. The most recent? None other than Ronda Rousey.
Rousey, the first woman ever named to the UFC Hall of Fame, was quick to dismiss the TMZ reporter's stretch comment of G.O.A.T. status when referring to Daniel Cormier, but the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion said she does consider Cormier the greatest in the game today. Rousey was the first women to ever sign with the UFC, and following two consecutive losses after seven-straight title defenses, ended her UFC career.
With a professional record of 21-1, Cormier's only losses during his UFC career have come at the hands of Jon "Bones" Jones. The second loss, at UFC 214, was changed to a no-contest after tested samples revealed Jones used an anabolic steroid; Cormier regained the Light Heavyweight title as a result of the decision.
Jon Jones, who has been the UFC's Light Heavyweight Champion three times, had his MMA license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission, was fined $205,000 and is awaiting word from the USADA on a potential long term suspension following the UFC 214 debacle.
At UFC 226, Cormier, the UFC Light Heavyweight champion, moved up in weight class to fight Stipe Miocic in the heavyweight division. Miocic had defended his UFC Heavyweight title a record three times before. Sportsmanship triumphs between these two mixed martial arts legends:
Following the fight, former UFC Heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar Brock Lesnar stormed into the cage and demanded a title shot at Cormier's newly acquired belt. Earlier this week, the UFC announced that Lesnar is taking the appropriate steps to complete a previous drug suspension. He'll be eligible to fight starting in January 2019. UFC President Dana White recently confirmed that, following that process, Lesnar will fight Cormier.
Cormier, a former NCAA wrestling All-American at Oklahoma State and a former Strikeforce champion, is only the second person to hold two titles at once in UFC history.
Until he's knocked off, Cormier is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today.
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