It lacked the cleanliness for which he had hoped, but Stipe Miocic nevertheless seized the unequivocal mantle of Ultimate Fighting Championship alpha male.
The Strong Style Fight Team ace retained his heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Daniel Cormier in the UFC 252 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside scored it for Miocic—49-46, 49-46 and 48-47—providing the Euclid, Ohio, native with a 2-1 edge in a historic trilogy that stretched across three years.
Cormier cracked his counterpart with clubbing right hands throughout their 25-minute battle, dazing the Marcus Marinelli protégé in the first and fourth rounds.