Stipe Miocic reclaims UFC heavyweight belt by thumping Daniel Cormier to the floor with nasty left hands

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Stipe Miocic beats Daniel Cormier.

• Stipe Miocic became a two-time UFC heavyweight champion after knocking Daniel Cormier out at UFC 241 on Saturday.
• Miocic was trailing on the scorecards as Cormier had taken an early lead, but then got sloppy.
• Miocic saw his opening, thumped Cormier with nasty left hands, and floored the Californian in the fourth round.
• Cormier appeared to consider retirement after the bout, telling the UFC commentator Joe Rogan that he would have to talk to his wife and made an "educated decision."
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Stipe Miocic scored a thumping knockout win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 241, avenging his stunning 2018 loss to the Californian.

Miocic was trailing on the scorecards as Cormier lifted him off the canvas and slams him on his back in the opening round alone.

In the second and third rounds he clipped Miocic with short, crisp punching, and though he spat blood out his own mouth, seemingly outboxed the 36-year-old.

Cormier defended a Miocic takedown in the third, escaped when he had his back to the fence, and out-punched Miocic through to the bell.

Miocic, though, changed everything in the fourth.

He took control of the fight for good by pounding Cormier's body, then targetted the reigning champion with meticulously-placed shots - lefts to the gut, hard right hands to the face, then back to the ribs.

With one more attack, Miocic continued to land until Cormier was against the fence, then falling awkwardly to a heap on the floor. It was here, where Miocic peppered his gloved knuckles all over Cormier until the referee, Herb Dean, intervened.

It was a conclusive finish and Miocic, who had been knocked out bad in one round last year, was a champion himself once again.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Miocic is now a two-time heavyweight champion.

The two-time UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones lauded Miocic as the division's greatest competitor in history, tweeting: "Stipe is hands down the greatest heavyweight of all time. I have nothing else to say."

After the fight, Miocic said he was the "baddest man on the planet."

Cormier, meanwhile, appeared to contemplate retirement after the devastating defeat, saying on the ESPN+ broadcast: "I need to speak to my wife and make an educated decision on what I need to do."