UFC 241: Cormier vs Miocic 2 Betting Odds and Preview

UFC double-champ Daniel Cormier defends the heavyweight strap against the man he won it from-Stipe Miocic, at the main event of UFC 241 on August 17, 2019, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The bout is a rematch of their UFC 226 bout in Las Vegas, Nevada last July 2018. It can be recalled that Cormier won the belt in that match after knocking out Miocic in round 1 of a scheduled five-round affair. The victory made DC the second fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously.

Cormier vs Stipe Miocic 2

Daniel Cormier is the reigning UFC heavyweight champion. DC was also the immediate former light heavyweight champion and he is one of four fighters in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously. However, Cormier is the only fighter to have successfully defended his two belts. DC is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler and a former alternate of the U.S. Olympic team. In MMA, he is a former Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix champion before making his mark in the UFC.

DC has a record of 22-1 with 10 knockouts, 5 submissions, and one no-contest. The 40-year old American Kickboxing Academy standout is listed at 5-11 with a reach of 72 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. DC is 4-0 with one no-contest and four stoppage wins in his last four bouts. In his most recent bout, Cormier scored a second-round submission win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 last November.

Cormier is considered one of the best wrestlers to ever enter the UFC octagon. But in his fight against Miocic at UFC 226, DC proved that he also has knockout power. Cormier had previously stated that he would retire when he turned 40 but a scrapped fight with Brock Lesnar has forced him to fight beyond his deadline. However, it is expected that this is DC’s retirement fight, win or lose.

Stipe Miocic is the immediate former UFC heavyweight champion. Miocic won the title by knocking out Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198. He went on to defend the belt successfully three times, holding the UFC heavyweight longer ( in terms of defenses ) than any fighter in history. As such, he is considered as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, if not the greatest. Miocic on a mission to reclaim the belt and assert his claim as the greatest heavyweight ever.

The 36-year old Miocic has a record of 18-3 with 14 knockouts. The part-time fireman from Cleveland stands 6-4 and has a reach of 80 inches while fighting as an orthodox fighter. Prior to his loss to DC, Miocic was on a six-fight winning streak which included five wins by stoppage with four of the knockouts happening in round one.

Miocic is a striking machine who can land volume of powerful punches on his opponents. He wastes no time in throwing those vicious haymakers and wants to end his fights as soon as possible. Miocic is also a very polished wrestler who has produced eight takedowns in his last four bouts. It can be recalled that Miocic was the MMA betting underdog when took down Francis Ngannou six times during their title bout at UFC 220.

Who Wins?

Some people are saying that DC’s win over Miocic was convincing because, on paper, it’s recorded as a first round knockout. But if you watch the fight again, there was no way Daniel Cormier was dominating that bout. In fact, I think it was Stipe Miocic who was winning that round when he got caught getting careless.

Now I don’t know if you agree with me but I think Cormier’s eye pokes got Miocic off his game somehow. Obviously, he was distracted by it  Did he suffer vision problems that later made it difficult for him to see that punch coming? I don’t know. Miocic never complained so maybe that was not the issue. But the eye pokes distracting Stipe’s attack and momentum was an issue.

Give credit to Daniel Cormier. He landed a perfectly timed punch that knocked Stipe out. That wasn’t the first time that Miocic was knocked out because Stipe also suffered a knockout loss against Stefan Struve. We know that Struve is a difficult cover because of his size so that probably explains why Miocic got caught. But an aging DC? Let me be the first to say that Cormier has looked better as he’s grown older. But each time I watch the first fight, I’d like to say Miocic was on top of the situation before that knockout happened.

Miocic has a massive height and reach advantage. He is a smart fighter too. Remember he took Mark Hunt and Francis Ngannou down repeatedly to avoid their power? He won’t take DC down. He’s going to box around the shorter Cormier this time around. Somewhere along the way he catches DC clean and knocks him out. DC retires after the bout. Prediction: Stipe Miocic by knockout

Nate Diaz vs Anthony Pettis

The eccentric Nate Diaz returns to UFC 241 after nearly three years of absence. Diaz last fought during his rematch against Conor McGregor where he lost via unanimous decision. The Stockton standout is the former winner of The Ultimate Fighter 5. He is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC and ranks 2nd in the promotion for most post-fight bonuses with 15.

Diaz has a record of 19-11 with five wins by knockout and 11 by submission. Diaz stands six feet tall and has a reach of 76 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. The Diaz brothers own some of the best boxing in the sport as they train with world champion boxers like Andre Ward.

Anthony Pettis is the former WEC and UFC lightweight champion. After Showtime lost the UFC lightweight belt, he moved down to featherweight and challenged for the interim UFC featherweight belt. He lost to Max Holloway and returned to lightweight before moving up to welterweight in his last fight against Wonderboy Thompson.

Pettis has a record of 22-8 with 10 knockouts and 8 submissions. He stands 5-10 and has a reach of 72 ½ inches while fighting out of Team Roufusport. Pettis is just 4-5 since losing the UFC lightweight title. He’s struggled since his loss to RDA but in his last bout, Pettis looked impressive against Stephen Thompson. Win or Lose in every fight, Anthony Pettis gives fans value for money with his fan-friendly exciting style.

Who Wins?

This is tricky because I see both fighters as equally fantastic strikers and perhaps equally skilled on the ground. Pettis’ karate is second to none while Diaz uses his boxing like a pro. On the mat, both had an arsenal of submission moves. Both are creative strikers and are geniuses on the mat. The only difference between these fighters in my book is that Diaz hasn’t fought in years. Pettis has been active, although he hasn’t had luck with getting wins.

I think this will have the potential to be Fight of the Year, that is if it doesn’t go dud. Pettis and Diaz are going to strike early but I think the longer this fight goes, it’s going to the mat. Diaz is one of the best submission artists ever and Pettis has the same potential. However, I will give the slight edge to Anthony Pettis because Nate has been away for such a long time. Prediction: Anthony Pettis

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