UFC 220: Stipe Miocic defends heavyweight title with victory over Francis Ngannou
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The 'baddest man on the planet' retained his heavyweight belt for the third time, then announced he's going to be a dad.
Undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic overcame the formidable challenge of Francis Ngannou to cement his position as the most successful champion in UFC heavyweight history, then announced he’s going to be a father.
Ohio firefighter Miocic dominated Ngannou over five punishing rounds in the main event of UFC 220 in Boston, Massachusetts to claim a landslide unanimous decision victory and retain his title for the third successive time.
Heading into the bout, Ngannou was lauded as the scariest title challenger in many years, and the hulking Cameroonian heavyweight went into the contest the favourite with bookmakers.
But Miocic made a mockery of the odds as he negotiated a tricky opening spell and dominated his opponent through all five rounds to earn scores of 50-44 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Ngannou came out looking to score the early knockout, but Miocic controlled the range well, and avoided the challenger’s biggest power shots, before launching into takedown attempts as he used his wrestling skills to take Ngannou off his feet and out of his comfort zone.
Most expected the fight to end in the opening two rounds but Miocic, wary of Ngannou’s much-heralded punch power, fought with remarkable discipline and composure to score a landslide decision win.
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With his win, Miocic became the first heavyweight champion in UFC history to successfully defend his title three times in a row, as he extended his impressive record to 18-2.
After the bout, Miocic made reference to the promotion of his opposite number heading into the contest, and replied with a shrug: “I’m not the scariest, but I am the baddest.”
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But despite overcoming the odds to retain his title and make UFC history, the always-humble Miocic put everything in perspective when he shared the news that he’s going to be a father.
“I’m gonna be a dad!” he shouted.
“That’s all that matters to me right now. I’m having a baby!”
Cormier’s a cut above
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In the co-main event, UFC light-heavyweight champion and former US Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier backed up his promise to “smash” Volkan Oezdemir as he finished the Swiss challenger in the second round.
Oezdemir started fast, landing solid shots on the champion in the first half of the round but, by the mid-way point, he noticeably slowed. Cormier came storming back, stinging the challenger with heavy shots and eventually taking the Swiss fighter down in the final minute of the round and locking up a rear-naked choke. Oezdemir was saved by the buzzer at the end of the round, preventing the champion from scoring a first-round submission win.
Cormier was clearly on top, and it was only a matter of time before he finished the Swiss fighter. In fact, it took him just two minutes of the second round, as the champion took Oezdemir to the mat, transitioned to the crucifix position and battered the challenger with ground strikes until the referee stepped in to stop the contest.
After the bout, Cormier said his victory was a moment of personal redemption after he was knocked out by Jon Jones in his last contest, only to be reinstated as champion after Jones failed a drug test.
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“It feels good to get back in here and get a victory,” he explained. “I’ve been through a lot. I go through a lot of stuff, man, and it's because of my greatest rival.
“I’ve lost twice to Jon Jones and I said as I came into this fight I felt as though I was fighting for a vacant title tonight, because he beat me last time.
“I fought for a vacant title, and I got the job done, so I’m the UFC champion again.
"I proved that I am worthy of being called champion.”
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