Daniel Cormier Admits Lack Of Respect Led To Stipe Miocic Loss
Former dual weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier says he lacked respect for Stipe Miocic in their second fight and paid for it with a loss.
Cormier scored a first-round knockout victory to win the heavyweight title in his first fight against Miocic at UFC 226 in July 2018. Miocic regained his crown more than a year later at UFC 241. The 37-year-old American of Croatian descent endured some tough early rounds before stopping ‘DC’ inside the distance.
Speaking on the latest episode of ‘DC & Helwani’, Cormier urged his heavyweight rival to sign the contract for a trilogy fight, he said.
“Come on, Champ. Sign the contract. Let’s go, like what are you doing? It’s nonsense. I get that you’re a firefighter, we admire all those things about you wanting to help people in this crisis time, but you’re also the champion of the world. Come on, man, let’s get this thing done, sign the contract.”
Cormier went on to say he is a better fighter than Miocic and it was a lack of respect that caused him to lose in their second bout, something he deeply regrets, ‘DC’ explained.
“He also said last fight didn’t start so well but this time will be better. It didn’t start so well because I’m better than him, it’s what it is. It’s going to start like that this time but this time I’m not going to get tired and you’re not just going to punch me in the stomach for five minutes. We’re going to prepare me to go and beat you again. It’s going to start the same way because I’m better than him, sign the contract.”
“I think I beat him up so bad in the first round that I lost respect for him and started carrying my hands really low and not fighting the way I’m known to fight. I’m going to beat him up like that again. I’m a better fighter than Stipe Miocic, I respect him, I think he’s a great guy, I think he’s a great role model, but I’m better than him and I just want to go prove it.”
“I should’ve never lost to him. I should’ve never lost that fight to Stipe Miocic. That is going to be one of my greatest regrets. You know I lost to [Jon] Jones and I fought well in the second fight, I fought well at times in the first fight, but he was better. Stipe Miocic was not better than me and that’s going to be something that I regret for the rest of my life, that I let him get a victory over me, he should’ve never got one.” (Transcribed by BJPenn.com)
Who do you think will emerge victorious when Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic complete their trilogy?
