Earlier tonight (Tues., April 30, 2019), news broke that Brock Lesnar had reportedly retired from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). The news came from UFC President Dana White himself, who said the UFC was now trending towards a Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic rematch instead.
Now, we find out that is just the case as ESPN’s Brett Okamoto has confirmed that the fight will headline an August pay-per-view (PPV) event. Although not officially announced, both fighters confirmed they were close to finalizing their agreements:
Cormier and Miocic originally fought in the main event of last July’s UFC 226. There, Cormier shocked the MMA world by knocking out Miocic to become a two-division champion. After the fight, Lesnar infamously came into the Octagon and shoved the victorious Cormier. A massive spectacle between the two wrestling powerhouses was rumored for Cormier’s last fight before his retirement.
Miocic remained on the sidelines campaigning for the rematch after defending the UFC heavyweight title a record three straight times. It appeared he would not get his wish, yet today he has. In truth, it’s the fight many hardcore fans have cried out for.
The argument for that was a good one, considering Lesnar doesn’t have an official win in the cage since 2011. He’s apparently done with MMA (for now, at least), so fans also have their wish like the Cleveland-based firefighter.
It’s a great fight. Who are you picking?
