BOSTON — Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic proved why they are champions in the City of Champions on Saturday night at UFC 220.
Cormier knocked out Volkan Oezdemir in the second round to defend the light heavyweight title while Stipe Miocic defeated Francis Ngannou via unanimous decision to defend the heavyweight title for a record third time in a wildly entertaining night of mixed-martial arts at TD Garden.
In the heavyweight title fight, Ngannou and Miocic traded blows in a scintillating first round. However, it appeared Ngannou tired out after trying to land a series of his trademark knockout blows during the first round. Miocic was successful in dodging Ngannou’s most dangerous strikes and was able to take the Cameroon native to the ground after the first round. Miocic landed more than 100 ground strikes to control the fight the rest of the way.
HISTORY IN BOSTON!
@StipeMiocicUFC becomes the first HW to successfully defend the belt three consecutive times. #UFC220 pic.twitter.com/PwFUg7meTD
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2018
In the co-main event, Cormier demonstrated why experience is important in title fights. He dominated Oezdemir in the first round and succeeded in knocking down the Swiss fighter, using a series of ground strikes to end the fight one round later.
He's hurt him!@DC_MMA is laying on the damage in the first! #UFC220 pic.twitter.com/zPmKFNIZbY
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2018
