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Can Daniel Cormier Win the Trilogy Against Stipe Miocic?

Published 08/10/2020, 4:29 PM EDT

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The declaration of The Heavyweight God stands a week away as Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic prepare to give their all in a clash of titans. The outgoing DC is looking for the last win of his career to cement his legacy as the GOAT. However, reclaiming heavyweight gold from the grasp of ‘Stone Cold‘ is definitely not going to be a walk in the park.

What are the lessons from his past two fights with Miocic that DC can draw on to ensure his victory?

Constant pressure is the way to go

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Let’s face the facts. Stipe is a well-rounded powerhouse with an unmatchable chin. Once he finds his groove, he becomes a lethal death-machine. Each and every strike of his packs a wallop. Thus, when he starts connecting, there is no going back. And that is what Cormier must strive to do away with at all costs.

In the last two outings of the heavyweight kings, Cormier exhibited absolutely wonderful tactics of a similar kind, rendering Stipe unable to find an opening. Especially in the first fight.

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However, in the second fight, Stipe found that one opening that he had been looking for, and pounded away at Cormier’s abdomen with devastating lefts right to the body. Stipe reclaimed Heavyweight gold as he beat DC via TKO. The body shots disheveled Cormier, and Stipe got the deed done by following up with strikes to the head.

To seal his victory this time, Cormier needs to be prepared to keep the pressure on for the entirety of the bout. His diverse array of options for taking on the offensive works well in favor of this strategy. He needs to ensure that he uses his arsenal wisely.

1. Varied striking range

Cormier’s compact yet healthy physique along with his extremely swift movements provides for exceptional striking. He mixes leg kicks along with quick jabs extremely well during the stand-up game, thus producing a massive volume of shots.

 

This is why he was ahead of Stipe on the scorecards both the times the two clashed. He closes the distance advantage that Stipe holds by clinching and engaging in dirty boxing, catching him with thunderous uppercuts on his exit from the clinch.

While this is a perfectly well-working strategy, getting comfortable with the same routine could be suicidal. DC’s excessive comfort with close range is what motivated Stipe to attack the body in the second fight.

Instead of jumping forward every time, it seems that mixing the range at which he strikes will bode well for Cormier. This will keep Stipe guessing as to just which one of Daniel’s limbs is going to come from where, and what part of his body is he aiming for.

Daniel’s speed will provide him with the ability to execute such a strategy with utter brilliance. Moreover, we saw just how capable he is with kicks in the second fight, always posing a danger of a head-kick. Thus, range variation will not be an unfathomable objective.

As soon as Miocic manages to get a flow on his overly strong strikes, it could be game-over for DC. Cormier’s volume must overshadow Stipe’s power for a victory.

2. Topped-up gas tank

For his final stint in the Octagon, Cormier needs to be prepared for perhaps the toughest battle of his life. Not only that, but he also needs to prepare himself for an opponent who seems dizzy in round 3 and comes back fresh as a fruitcake in round 4.

In preparation for the worst, DC will need the spirit and conditioning to fight ten rounds. Only then will the uncrackable chin and never-ending spirit of Cleveland’s Miocic meet a match.

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Even though Cormier managed to finish Stipe in their first meeting, many suspected that it was because Stipe had yet to recover from the blows he received at the hands of Francis Ngannou in the bout prior to the one with Daniel. Of course, speculations and explanations rise out of every nook and corner. But the amount of damage his left eye took that time around really did affect Stipe’s mental capacity to carry on in a very drastic way.

The same will most probably not be true this time. Moreover, DC evidently began to gas out, even though ever so slightly, in their second fight. This, too, played a major role in providing Stipe with the opening he required.

Therefore, DC needs to put in all his conditioning to ensure that he does not give Stipe space enough to breathe, let alone think.

3. Intelligent wrestling will go a long way for Daniel Cormier

DC recently stated that he will be putting the pressure on wrestling for his final bout with Stipe. He even said that the smaller 25-feet Octagon will provide a battleground much better suited for the Greco-Roman and Olympic freestyle wrestler.

Nevertheless, Stipe will not go down without a fight, even if it happens on the ground. An NCAA Division I Wrestler himself, Miocic will provide tough competition for his 41-year-old opponent on the ground as well.

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Moreover, wrestling the giant of Stipe Miocic and the constant effort of trying to control him will be extremely draining for Cormier himself. And it will be excessively dangerous if he tires himself out against a well-conditioned Miocic in the earlier rounds. Thus, in preparation for the worst, it seems ideal for Cormier to keep the wrestling reserved for championship rounds.

DC does hold the advantage of more expertise on the ground, as he is able to transition much more smoothly than his opponent. He also shows an insane skill-set of dominating and defending while on the ground, a level befitting an Olympian. Using it smartly and at the opportune moments will go a long way for him.

4. Daniel Cormier and his flurries may doom him

DC has always employed dynamic flurries of strikes as soon as he sees openings. Fighters use these flurries to blind their opponents with relentless, spontaneous pressure.

On the contrary, there exist fighters who use their opponents’ flurries to their advantage. And Stipe is one of them. He can turn the tide within a moment while going backward as his opponents charge. In fact, that is how he became the face of the Heavyweight division.

In title fight against the then-champion Fabricio Werdum, Miocic knocked out a charging ‘Vai Cavalo’ and embarked on the longest title reign in the history of the division.

Again, if his eyes remain unharmed this time around, Stipe holds the caliber to cause so much more damage than the last two fights. Including his ability to KO DC as the latter wades in for one of his flurries.

Thus, Cormier must take extra care to avoid falling into a self-laid trap. He may not be able to come back to the fight if he leans too far in.

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Of course, no amount of planning is enough for the actual ordeal. Yet, ensuring that any opportunities that one’s own game may provide the opponent with are dealt with multiply the chances of winning.

With the score tied at 1-1, the conclusion of this trilogy promises to be an all-out war. Everyone has their eyes fixed on August 15, as a new Heavyweight God, the Greatest of All Time, will emerge.

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What strategy do you think will help Daniel Cormier draw the curtains on his career with a memorable win?

Sources: Top Fights on YouTube, sam lin on YouTube

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Written by:

Deepit Sharma

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