Miocic retains heavyweight crown with decision over Cormier

Stipe Miocic defeated Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision in a five-round bout Saturday night to win the rubber match in a fantastic trilogy between the fighters and retain his heavyweight championship.

Miocic (20-3) swept the scorecards 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 to stake his claim as perhaps the greatest heavyweight in UFC history.

Miocic tagged Cormier with a vicious poke to his right eye late in the third round that sent the challenger staggering to his corner. Cormier eye was about swollen shut but he gamely fought on the final two rounds in the main event of UFC 252 at the UFC APEX complex in Las Vegas

“I can’t see anything out of my left eye,” Cormier said. “It’s black.”

Cormier said he stood by his decision to retire. He won the first fight between the two but dropped two straight to Miocic.