Anaheim, Calif., hosts UFC 241 on Saturday night, with heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier looking to retain his title in a rematch with the man he knocked out to gain the belt, Stipe Miocic.
Cormier enters the fight with his legacy on his mind. He claims to be aware of fighting history and the lack of success previous fighters have had versus Father Time, yet at age 40 he feels the need to solidify his position in UFC lore before he walks away. While his plans are worthy, they do ignore historic probability.
Miocic legitimately was knocked out in their first fight and he has made no excuses since. In fact, the only clamoring we’ve heard from him was his deep desire to gain a rematch. The year-plus layoff may have freshened Miocic, whose wife gave birth to their first child a few months after the first Cormier fight. At 36, Miocic is much closer to his prime for a heavyweight. Plus, he’s carrying a chip that is fueling his focus for this bout.
The play: Miocic, +125.