Saturday’s main event saw Stipe Miocic retain his UFC heavyweight title with victory over his long-time rival Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision.
After the contest, Cormier announced his retirement.Gaining the title of the greatest heavyweight In UFC history, Miocic said: “I don’t really care, I’m going home, I’ve got the belt. For some reason, I just knew he was going to kick me, I don’t why in the back of my head, the whole camp, I knew he was going to kick my shin. I checked a couple of them, so I know they definitely didn’t feel good for him. He’s just real good at countering, for some reason I just couldn’t get off what I wanted to, couple times I did, I almost caught him in the second, but he’s an amazing fighter, that’s why he does what he does, that’s why he’s won so many titles and beat so many good guys. It was real close, he fell, that’s why he’s a great fighter, he knew he was in trouble and he did the right thing. It’s my birthday on the 19th, Modelos for days.”
In the co-main event, Marlon Vera served Sean O’Malley his first defeat with a KO in the first round of their bantamweight bout.
On the back of his huge win, Vera commented: “ He was waiting on me to go crazy, just the same Wineland and the Mexican kid went, but that’s not how I fight, big right hand going forward, that’s a cheap way to fight I believe, I feel like if you find the right coaches and you put the right in, your technique will be high level. I try personally to be a high-level black belt, a high-level wrestler and a high-level striker.
Joe Rogan has the best advice, don’t read comments, don’t read negativity. I feed myself with positivity, my family, my friends. I know who are the real fans, who are the hardcore ones. I doin’t have time to be going back and forth with people, those guys are empty guys. Every time you answer them, they win, if you don’t answer them, you’re winning in life, so I’m in a good spot. I’ve said this before the fight, I’ll say this right now, I’m in good spirits, I’m a person that works hard for me, for my family, for my country and when you work the way I work, your dreams come true.”
The Fight of the Night came from two UFC newcomers, as Kai Kamaka defeated Tony Kelley by unanimous decision after three competitive rounds.
After gaining his first UFC victory, Kamaka said: “ I’m just relieved to be here, I know I belong. It was perfect, but everybody seen that I belong here, now I just have to step up my game more and everything. It’s good to be here, it’s good to finally be here. I’m relieved that I’m here, I’m not working to get here, I’m not working to move up the ladder.
I just had to not let him back me up in that third round, that’s it. I knew if I stuck my feet on the ground, he couldn’t figure out my timing. When I was backing up, that’s when he was on the gas, but if I don’t back up, it’s hard to figure out my jab, it’s hard to figure out my timings. I’m gonna go to my grandma’s house, lay back, can’t wait to get home to my kids, but the way I’m celebrating is, my wife is going to give birth in a month, my first boy, that’ll be a relief and I can take a step back.”
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