UFC 241: Miocic vs. Cormier 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 241: Miocic vs. Cormier 2 — August 17, 2019, Honda Center, Anaheim, California. Stipe Miocic recaptured the UFC Heavyweight Championship he had lost at UFC 226 by stopping Daniel Cormier with body shots and punches at 4:09 of round four. The finish was the culmination of a gameplan that Miocic and his corner had quietly developed over 13 months: attack the body, use volume to drain DC’s cardio, and wait for the moment when the damage accumulated enough to change the fight. It worked precisely as intended. Cormier had been winning on the scorecards; by the end of round four he was unable to defend the body shots that broke him.
The co-main brought Nate Diaz back to the Octagon for the first time in nearly three years. He defeated Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision in a welterweight bout that proved Diaz’s timing, durability, and jiu-jitsu remained elite. The card also featured the heavyweight division’s biggest result of the year and belongs alongside UFC 226 and UFC 230 as a defining chapter in the Miocic–Cormier heavyweight saga.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: August 17, 2019
📍 Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ PPV
🏆 Main Event: Cormier (c) vs. Miocic 2 — UFC Heavyweight Championship
✅ Result: Miocic def. Cormier via TKO (body shots and punches) — R4 4:09
🥇 Champion: Stipe Miocic — NEW UFC HW Champion (recaptured)
The Build-Up
The backstory required no promotional embellishment. Miocic had been the most dominant UFC HW champion in history when Cormier KO’d him in round one at UFC 226. Cormier had defended the title at UFC 230 via RNC of Derrick Lewis. In the intervening 13 months, Miocic had quietly developed a specific gameplan around Cormier’s vulnerabilities: the body, particularly the liver, and the accumulated cardio drain that Cormier’s weight management for the heavyweight limit could produce over four and five rounds. Miocic’s team did not publicise this approach. Cormier arrived for the rematch having beaten Lewis and survived a period of Brock Lesnar speculation. At 40 years old, this was his last realistic title defence.
Nate Diaz’s return was one of the most anticipated moments in welterweight history. He had last fought at UFC 202 in September 2016, losing a majority decision to Conor McGregor in the second fight of their trilogy. In the three years since, his absence had made him one of the sport’s most wanted names. Anthony Pettis, the former LW champion who had been fighting at WW since his move down, was a compelling opponent: flashy, dangerous, and capable of ending a fight at any moment.
Main Event — Miocic vs. Cormier 2
Daniel Cormier (c) vs. Stipe Miocic — UFC Heavyweight Championship
The first two rounds belonged to Cormier on most observers’ scorecards. He used his wrestling to control positions, landed clean shots, and demonstrated the physical superiority that had defined his first-round KO in the original. Miocic fought without urgency, steadily attacking the body on every clinch and takedown attempt, digging his left hook and right hand to the ribs with a consistency that appeared almost methodical. By round three the body shots were visibly slowing Cormier’s recovery between exchanges.
Round four was the turning point. Cormier’s head movement slowed and his hands dropped slightly as the body damage took hold. Miocic landed a clean left hook to the body that visibly hurt Cormier, then shifted immediately to the head with a right hand. Cormier went down. Miocic followed with a controlled sequence of ground punches; referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 4:09. Miocic had his title back. The Honda Center crowd, heavily Southern California in composition and largely Cormier-friendly, stood in acknowledgement of what they had witnessed — a 13-month plan executed with precision.
Co-Main Event — Diaz vs. Pettis
Nate Diaz vs. Anthony Pettis — Welterweight
Diaz’s three-year absence had done nothing to diminish his qualities. He came out with the same forward pressure, volume punching, and submission-hungry grappling that had made him one of the sport’s most entertaining fighters. Pettis landed some sharp shots and threatened with his kicks in the early rounds, but Diaz’s toughness and durability absorbed the best of what was offered. The fight went to a unanimous decision for Diaz, and the return felt entirely worth the wait — he was sharp, active, and clearly motivated. The Anaheim crowd gave him a genuine reception and he called out Jorge Masvidal post-fight, setting up the BMF title fight that would define the next chapter of his UFC career.
Full Results
Main Card
Miocic def. Cormier — TKO (body shots and punches) | R4 4:09 | HW Championship (Miocic recaptured)
Diaz def. Pettis — Unanimous Decision | R3 | WW (Diaz’s first fight in 3 years)
Romero def. Gastelum — Unanimous Decision | R5 | MW
Blachowicz def. Santos — Unanimous Decision | R3 | LHW
Luque def. Price — Unanimous Decision | R3 | WW
Preliminary Card
Derrick Lewis def. Alexey Oleynik — KO | R2 | HW
Moicano def. Korean Zombie — TKO | R1 | FW
Bonuses & Awards
🏅 Performance of the Night ($50,000 each): Stipe Miocic for the R4 TKO body-shot finish to recapture the HW title; Derrick Lewis for his R2 KO of Oleynik; and Renato Moicano for his R1 TKO of the Korean Zombie.
Records & Milestones
Miocic’s recapture of the HW title completed one of the most significant comebacks in championship history. His body-shot gameplan was widely praised as the most intelligent strategy deployed against Cormier’s particular physical profile. Cormier, 40 at the time of the fight, had been champion longer than any other active UFC HW at that point. His defeat opened the door for a trilogy fight that would complete one of the sport’s great heavyweight rivalries. The full Miocic–Cormier arc is covered across UFC 226 and UFC 230.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 241 is remembered primarily as the night Miocic cemented his claim to being the greatest UFC Heavyweight Champion in history. Winning back a title by executing a specific, premeditated body-work gameplan against the man who had knocked you out in round one fourteen months earlier is one of the sport’s most impressive accomplishments. The finish — body shots breaking DC in round four when the scorecards might still have been in his favour — demonstrated exactly how patient and disciplined Miocic and his corner had been.
Diaz’s return and his post-fight callout of Masvidal set up what became UFC 244’s BMF title fight — one of 2019’s most anticipated and commercially successful events. UFC 241 belongs alongside UFC 239 as one of summer 2019’s most impactful events.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Miocic beat Cormier at UFC 241?
Miocic systematically attacked Cormier’s body throughout the first three rounds, targeting the ribs and liver on every clinch and exchange. By round four the accumulated damage had slowed Cormier’s movement. Miocic landed a left hook to the body that visibly hurt DC, shifted to the head with a right hand, put him down, and finished with ground punches. Referee Herb Dean stopped it at 4:09 of round four.
How long had Nate Diaz been out before UFC 241?
Almost exactly three years. His previous fight was UFC 202 in September 2016, a majority decision loss to Conor McGregor. The win over Pettis at UFC 241 was his return after 1,060+ days away from the Octagon.
Did Miocic and Cormier fight a third time after UFC 241?
Yes. Miocic vs. Cormier 3 took place at UFC 252 in August 2020, with Miocic winning by unanimous decision to retain the HW title and end the trilogy in his favour. Cormier announced his retirement after the loss.
What happened after Nate Diaz beat Pettis at UFC 241?
Diaz called out Jorge Masvidal post-fight, directly referencing Masvidal’s 5-second KO of Askren at UFC 239. The callout led to the BMF Title fight at UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden, November 2019 — one of the year’s biggest commercial events.
Who received the UFC 241 post-fight bonuses?
Performance of the Night: Stipe Miocic ($50,000) for the R4 body-shot TKO to recapture the HW title; Derrick Lewis ($50,000) for his R2 KO of Oleynik; Renato Moicano ($50,000) for his R1 TKO of Korean Zombie.
References
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