The Champ Champ Is Here: Daniel Cormier wins the UFC Heavyweight Title, gets an immediate challenger in a returning Brock Lesnar

There is no denying it now: Daniel Cormier can be considered one of the best fighters in UFC history.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 17,464 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, DC did the impossible. The UFC Light Heavyweight Champion took down the mighty Stipe Miocic to finally win the UFC Heavyweight Title. For the first time since Conor McGregor did it at UFC 205, Cormier is a two-weight champion

In a night to never forget (except for the Derrick Lewis/Francis Ngannou fight), DC walked into the superfight as the underdog, something he is used to his entire life. As he entered the octagon he had a different mindset compared to normal fights. As the bell rang, it was a whole new feeling for him. The fight started out with the two feeling each other out. It wasn’t until late in the first round where Cormier (21-1 (1)) backed out of the clinch and hit Miocic (18-3) square in the jaw with an elbow. As Stipe landed on the floor, Cormier took advantage of the opportunity, mounting the now former champion with lefts and rights. From uncertainty to relief, the fight was over at 4:33 in the first, making Cormier the decisive winner.

DANIEL CORMIER IS THE NEW HW CHAMPION! #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/zXBkQm2IVQ

— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2018

Besides McGregor, Cormier joins Randy Couture, B.J. Penn and Georges St-Pierre as fighters who have held belts at multiple weight classes.

And so ends the dominant run by one of the best heavyweight champions of all time, Stipe Miocic. Classy as ever, Miocic congratulated Cormier before heading back to his wife who was close to giving birth to their new child. There is no denying the run he had, as the part-time firefighter has helped the UFC gain momentum in many ways. It is expected Miocic will immediately get back into contention.

Heading into the fight, there was a sense of questioning whether Cormier can reach this point since he hasn’t fought at heavyweight since 2013. Getting the weight wasn’t exactly the issue, but having the energy to fight after the fact was. Once a dominant heavyweight, Cormier went down to light heavyweight knowing his friend Cain Velasquez was on top. With Cain by his side against Stipe, Cormier reached the top of the mountain.

After last night, gone were the doubts many had after his fights with Jon Jones, who could have been in Cormier’s shoes. The new champion stated he holds all the cards now. He also stated any fight up until he retires next year will have to be worth a lot of money.

Enter Brock Lesnar.

It was rumored for some time that Lesnar (5-3 (1)) would be returning to the octagon. You can thank Dana White for that, as he made an announcement a few months back. Now, it appears the rumor is a reality. Lesnar was shown on screen before the main event, and after the fight, Cormier called him out. The Beast Incarnate rushed into the octagon, pushed Cormier and called out all the heavyweights the UFC has. It was straight out of an episode of Monday Night Raw.

DC calls out Brock Lesnar!

LESNAR IS IN THE CAGE!! #UFC226 pic.twitter.com/XTz7q16GJo

— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2018

The current WWE Universal Champion must reenter the USADA testing pool, which according to Dana is already happening. With the six months Lesnar would have to serve, the proposed fight between the pro wrestler and the pro wrestling fan in Cormier would have to wait until at least January. Unless something changes, that cancels all dreams of a fight at November’s UFC 230 event at Madison Square Garden.

Until we get that settled, let us enjoy the moment we have now. If there is anyone you want to lead a company like the UFC going forward, it is Daniel Cormier.

The landscape of the UFC has changed. Whether you like it or not, the current storyline the UFC is going with works, and with DC at the forefront of it all, expect some fireworks. Cormier’s victory is a deserving moment for one of the best to play the game. Just like a young Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII (have to involve DC’s love for pro wrestling one more time), at 39, a boyhood dream has come true.