Stipe Miocic stops Junior dos Santos to retain UFC heavyweight title
DALLAS — Stipe Miocic has wanted the chance to avenge his loss to former champion Junior dos Santos since he heard the scores read on that night in December 2014.
He did so in as convincing a manner as possible with a quick knockout in the main event of UFC 211 on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
Miocic retained his UFC heavyweight belt and erased the one lingering question over his title reign by making quick work of the last man to beat him.
“I am the best in the world,” Miocic proudly proclaimed after the victory.
Miocic has won five straight since the loss to dos Santos, including the past four by first-round knockout.
He needed 2:22 to finish the rematch. Miocic dropped dos Santos with a big right hand as dos Santos attempted to circle out of danger along the cage.
It was a scenario Miocic had spent his entire training camp perfecting.
“We’ve been working that for 10 weeks,” he said.
Once dos Santos dropped to his hands and knees, Miocic repeatedly crushed him with short left hands until the fight was stopped.
Miocic has successfully defended the belt twice. Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez did the same, but no UFC heavyweight champion has had more than three straight defenses of the belt.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.
UFC 211 main card
— Stipe Miocic def. Junior dos Santos, KO (round 1, 2:23), to retain heavyweight title
— Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Jessica Andrade, unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44), to retain women's strawweight title
— Demian Maia def. Jorge Masvidal, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), welterweights
— Frankie Edgar def. Yair Rodriguez, TKO (doctor stoppage, round 2, 5:00), featherweights
— David Branch def. Krzysztof Jotko, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), middleweights
