Stipe Miocic has revealed getting a rematch with the man he lost his heavyweight title to last year, Daniel Cormier, holds more importance to him then actually getting his title back.
Miocic (18-3) won the heavyweight belt when he knocked out Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in May 2016. The 36-year-old went on to defend his belt three times, breaking the record for the most consecutive UFC heavyweight title defenses.
The rematch with Cormier holds so much importance to Miocic purely because he feels he is the better fighter of the two. Having a baby daughter, Meelah, just a few weeks after that fight with Cormier, Miocic feels he now as something to fight for.
“Oh, 100 percent,” Miocic told MMA Fighting. “It’s everything. Just because I know I’m the better fighter — I believe I’m the better fighter. In my heart. I’m fighting for something, I’m fighting for her. It’s not just about me, my wife and doing what I love. I’m doing what I love, but now I’m doing it for an even better reason.”
Miocic still continues his job as a firefighter in addition to his UFC career. The former champion feels he was winning the fight up until he got caught with the finishing blow from Cormier, but maintains ‘DC’ doesn't hit as hard as Francis Ngannou, the last man Miocic successfully defended his title against before losing it to Cormier.
“I felt like I was winning the fight, I felt like I kind of got off track of what I was doing, not doing my usual and listening to the game plan. And just kind of overstepped what I needed to do and he caught me with a punch — a punch I didn’t see.” Miocic said. “I’ll say to this day, he doesn’t hit as hard as [Francis] Ngannou. It was just right on the button, right where it needed to be.
“It wasn’t like he was wiping the floor with me. I just knew I was the better fighter in there. And let me tell you something, next time it happens, next time we fight, you’ll see a different fighter. A whole new me. A lot has changed.”
