On Episode 2 of UFC 241 Embedded, heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier cooks for his kids, then previews an upcoming title fight via video game. Former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic visits a flea market and struggles to master the concept of haggling. Welterweight Anthony Pettis gets out of the gym and goes fishing with his team; as opponent Nate Diaz turns a beach home into a dojo. UFC 241 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title rematch taking place Saturday, August 17th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 1 of UFC 241 Embedded, heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier works out al fresco and underwater. Former champion Stipe Miocic reflects on the year of rest, reinvention and fatherhood he’s enjoyed since his last bout against Cormier. Former lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, now a top-10 welterweight, readies his knockout skills for Saturday’s bout against Nate Diaz. UFC 241 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title rematch taking place Saturday, August 17th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 7 of UFC 241 Embedded, all athletes hit their marks at morning weigh-ins: heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, challenger Stipe Miocic, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and opponent Nate Diaz. Later in the day, the ceremonial event includes intense stare-downs and mean-mugging. UFC 241 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the featherweight title fight taking place Saturday, August 17 on Pay-Per-View.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Stipe Miocic waited over a year to face Daniel Cormier again, and his plan for the rematch didn’t start to work until they were deep in the fourth round.
That’s when the patient, determined firefighter from Cleveland finally got his revenge — and suddenly reclaimed his UFC heavyweight title.
Miocic stopped Cormier with a barrage of punches in the fourth, taking back his championship belt with a comeback victory at UFC 241 on Saturday night.
Miocic (19-3) lost the first two rounds on every judge’s scorecard in his rematch with the 40-year-old Cormier (22-2). After making some progress in the third, Miocic steadily came forward through Cormier’s blows in the fourth and finally hurt the champion with a punch to the body.
Miocic then landed several powerhouse right hands to Cormier’s head, buckling his knees and eventually forcing referee Herb Dean to stop the fight with 51 seconds left in the fourth round. The 6-foot-5 behemoth leaped onto the wall of the cage and celebrated with fans still stunned by the fight’s sudden turn.
“I saw some weakness in that third round,” Miocic said. “And then in that fourth round, I caught him with that right hand. Thank God, because he’s tough.”
Nate Diaz also returned from a three-year hiatus with a dominant decision victory over Anthony Pettis at Honda Center, but he was upstaged by the remarkable redemption of Miocic.
Miocic reigned as the UFC’s heavyweight champion for 26 months, and he defended his belt a UFC-record three consecutive times before Cormier dethroned him in July 2018 with a first-round stoppage victory. Despite Cormier’s decisive victory, Miocic campaigned for a rematch and eventually received it when Cormier said he “deserved it.”
Cormier’s quick hands were the difference early in the rematch. The 5-foot-11 Cormier also picked up his much larger opponent and slammed him onto the canvas during the first round, showing off the elite athleticism lurking in his dad bod.
Miocic landed plenty of shots, but Cormier’s blows were more frequent and more impactful — although not much makes an impact on the hulking Miocic. The fight turned quickly and decisively when Miocic finally hurt Cormier, who couldn’t recover.
Cormier didn’t announce his retirement in the cage afterward, but the former two-belt champion planned to think seriously about quitting MMA after this fight, no matter its outcome. The former Olympic-level wrestler had always planned to get out of the sport before he turned 40, but Cormier pushed his deadline by five months after surgery prevented him from fighting last March.
Right before Miocic’s win, the 34-year-old Diaz (20-11) cemented his wild popularity with an impressive performance in his first fight since he split a pair of bouts with Conor McGregor in 2016.
Diaz punished Pettis (22-9) in standup striking and on the ground, winning 30-27 on two judges’ scorecards and 29-28 on the third. Fighting through a serious cut near his eye, Diaz repeatedly hurt the former lightweight champion and nearly got a finish several times in the third.
“I wasn’t sure if there would be some rust or not, so I just treated it like there might be,” Diaz said. “I didn’t want to sit around and think about it. Just ignore it and go.”
Diaz’s popularity didn’t wane while he declined a series of matchups over the last three years. He sounds interested in fighting more frequently now, and he used his post-fight interview to call out Jorge Masvidal, another popular veteran brawler.
Unbeaten Brazilian middleweight Paulo Costa won a bruising decision over Cuba’s Yoel Romero in a long-anticipated fight that was also worth the wait. Three previous bookings of this matchup fell through due to injury, but the two cartoonishly muscled 185-pounders captivated the crowd with a spectacularly physical fight that Costa won 29-28 on all three scorecards.
Khama Worthy, a 32-year-old veteran making his UFC debut on short notice, pulled the upset of the night with a first-round knockout victory over touted prospect Devonte Smith on the undercard.
Khama Worthy (15-6) scores a massive upset on five days' notice, swiftly sparking the hype of Contender Series grad Devonte Smith! With a successful debut, "The Death Star" boosts his win streak to six. He has stopped 10, nine by knockout. #UFC241pic.twitter.com/Fg9KWskh7R
ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto sits down with Nate Diaz for an exclusive interview prior to his fight vs. Anthony Pettis at UFC 241.
(8:24) Diaz opens up about his prior fight selection and why he feels he's always been deserving of top-tier opponents. (13:35) Okamoto asks Diaz about his history vs. Conor McGregor and how it changed his UFC career. (21:11) Diaz discusses being accused of turning down fights, (27:50) explains why he considers he has a win over Dustin Poirier and (30:00) revisits his history with McGregor, including if he believes a third fight could be in the making.
On Episode 3 of UFC 241 Embedded, former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic wraps up his Cleveland training camp. Current titleholder Daniel Cormier hits Hollywood, with stops at Extra TV and TMZ. In Milwaukee, Anthony Pettis gets in an extra workout, his energy buoyed by his new weight class. Opponent Nate Diaz surrounds himself with his team for a dip in the ocean. UFC 241 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title rematch taking place Saturday, August 17th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 5 of UFC 241 Embedded, heavyweight Stipe Miocic counsels his coach post wine-glass-injury. At fight week photo sessions, heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier reveals a superstitious side, middleweight Yoel Romero does pushups, and welterweight Nate Diaz drapes himself in a flag. Cormier and Miocic plus Diaz and Anthony Pettis attend open workouts, where Cormier’s son emcees and Diaz lights up the crowd by lighting up. UFC 241 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title rematch taking place Saturday, August 17th on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 4 of UFC 241 Embedded, heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier keeps his cool by surrounding himself with his team, even as he shakes the impressively strong hand of his opponent, Stipe Miocic. Former champion Anthony Pettis feels physically primed as he aims to take his emotions out of his upcoming welterweight bout with Nate Diaz. UFC 241 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title rematch taking place Saturday, August 17th on Pay-Per-View.
Nate Diaz shocked the world at UFC 196 when he submitted Conor McGregor in the second round. After nearly three years away from the Octagon, Diaz returns to faces former champion Anthony Pettis in the co-main event of UFC 241 in Anaheim on August 17.
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