ANALYSIS
This was arguably the best performance of Miocic's career. Not because he fought well -- he probably lost the first three rounds -- but because he recognized an adjustment that needed to be made in order to win the fight and went out and executed it. Seemingly dead in the water following three brtual rounds, Stipe turned the tide by peppering DC's body. He threw a few shots, realized they were damaging the champ, and stuck with it. All the body shots eventually took their toll and allowed Miocic to finally do some damage with some shots to the head. Again, this was not a great effort from Stipe, but he did what was necessary to regain his belt when he could have thrown in the towel on numerous occasions. Miocic is going to need some time off after this back-and-forth war, but common sense would dictate that a rematch with Francis Ngannou would be next up for Stipe's first title defense. Miocic cruised to a unanimous decision in the first meeting between the two in January of 2018 on the strength of his wrestling, but Ngannou is back to knocking guys out like it's nobody's business, and it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see Stipe as the underdog if that fight gets made. If it does indeed happen, Miocic better clean up his striking defense or else he is going to be another one-and-done champion.

ANALYSIS
Miocic had set the record for heavyweight title defenses in the UFC (3), but that streak was snapped when Cormier landed a first-round uppercut that put an end to the evening at UFC 226. Miocic has held firm in his assertions for a rematch, staying on the sidelines for nearly a year before finally getting his opportunity. Cormier, on the other hand, went on to defend his title in convincing fashion against Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 in November. A back injury has since slowed down DC, who initially did not want to fight past his 40th birthday. That birthday happened in March, but DC will extend his self-imposed deadline to take a much more challenging fight than an initially-proposed matchup against Brock Lesnar. Miocic will enter the cage the younger fighter with eight-inch reach and five-inch height advantages. That didn't stop Cormier from getting in side in their first matchup, but Stipe has had plenty of time to view the tape and correct any striking deficiencies. He'll likely have to get it done on the feet here, as Cormier is a much more accomplished wrestler than anyone else on Miocic's UFC resume.

ANALYSIS
While Miocic did a good job of using his size advantage during exchanges between the two men along the cage, Stipe's striking defense was particularly poor. He did have to deal with a poke in the eye from DC midway through Round 1, but it still wasn't the crisp performance that we have become accustomed to from the former champ. Miocic was visibly upset with the stoppage, but referee Marc Goddard gave him more than enough time to get his act together and Stipe was unable to. Miocic successfully defended his title three times (Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Francis Ngannou) prior to Saturday's loss. Brock Lesnar is quite obviously next in line for Cormier, but the truth of the matter is that the UFC heavyweight division is so thin that Miocic is only a win or two away from getting right back in the title picture.

ANALYSIS
Miocic will put his title on the line against the current light heavyweight champion in Cormier, and the two will also take on the head coaching role in 'The Ultimate Fighter' reality show which will begin filming next week. Just last weekend at UFC 220 in Boston, Miocic topped Francis Ngannou via unanimous decision to remain the heavyweight champion, while Cormier bested Volkan Oezdemir to retain his title. Combined, these two fighters are 38-3 in their career, and are sure to put on a show in Las Vegas.

ANALYSIS
Not only is Miocic supremely talented, but he is a darn smart fighter. He proved once again that he can push the pace for an extended period of time and he did an excellent job of limiting Ngannou's chances on the feet from Round 2 onward. Stipe's combination of cardio, footwork and power is remarkable. He also deserves credit for doing his homework on Ngannou. He knew the first few minutes would be the most dangerous time and he survived those and thrived the rest of the way. Realizing Ngannou was exhausted, Miocic went for the takedown time and time again with success. The best fighters in the world are willing to alter their gameplan depending on whom they are fighting and that is exactly what Stipe did on Saturday. Miocic becomes the first fighter in company history to successfully defend the UFC Heavyweight Championship three times. Former champions Cain Velasquez or Fabricio Werdum are likely next for Stipe.