Miocic KOs Cormier to reclaim UFC heavyweight title

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Stipe Miocic stopped Daniel Cormier with a barrage of punches in the fourth round, reclaiming his heavyweight title with a stunning comeback victory at UFC 241 on Saturday night.

Miocic (19-3) appeared to be losing the first three rounds of his rematch with the 40-yearold Cormier (22-2), who added the heavyweight belt to his light heavyweight title by stopping Miocic in the first round in July 2018.

In the rematch, the determined firefighter from Cleveland kept coming forward through Cormier’s blows and finally hurt the champion with a punch to the body. Miocic then landed several powerhouse right hands to Cormier’s head, buckling his knees and eventually forcing referee Herb Dean to stop the fight with 51 seconds left in the fourth round.

On the undercard, Albuquerque strawweight Jodie Esquibel lost by unaimous decisoin to North Carolina’s Hannah Cifers. The judges’ scores were 30-28, 30-27 and 30-27.

Esquibel is 6-6 overall but is 0-4 in UFC competition. Cifers is 10-3 overall, 2-1 in the UFC.

Cifers outstruck Esquibel by a wide margin during the three rounds. The Albuquerquean was able to execute three takedowns but was unable to do much with the advantage. Twice after Esquibel takedowns, the referee stood the fighters up because of inactivity on the ground.

BOXING: Albuquerque lightweight Fidel Maldonado Jr. scored a victory by first-round TKO over Denver’s Juan Santiago Saturday night in the main event of a Holmes Promotions card at the Embassy Suites.

Maldonado improved his record to 28-4-1 with 20 knockouts. Santiago is 16-17-1 with nine KOs.

On the undercard:

■ Albuquerque bantamweight Santiago Giron made a successful pro debut with a first-round stoppage of fellow Albuqurquean José Vialpando. It was Vialpando’s pro debut as well.

■ Los Angeles bantamweight Lorraine Villalobos (4-2, two KOs) defeated Española’s Leanna Martinez (also 4-2, two KOs) by fourth-round TKO

■ Albuquerque middleweight Donald Sanchez (4-2, three KOs) defeated Isaac Sifuentez (0-4) of Dimmitt, Texas, by first-round TKO.

■ Albuquerque cruiserweight Daniel Garcia Flores (2-3) defeated Alamgorfdo’s Joel Terrazas by fourth-round TKO

... In Los Angeles, Rio Rancho welterweight Brian Mendoza remained undefeated with a first-round knockout of Nicaragua’s Rosemberg Gomez on a Top Rank, Inc. card.

Mendoza, a Top Rank contract fighter who now lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nev., improved his record to 18-0 with 13 knockouts. Gomez is 20-8-1 with 16 KOs.