UFC 211 headliner Stipe Miocic: 'I'm not here to make a legacy – I'm here to win'

DALLAS – Stipe Miocic isn’t concerned about what type of legacy he’s going to leave behind after his fighting career is over. However, if his future goes as planned, he knows it will be a good one.

Miocic (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), the UFC heavyweight champ who rematches Junior Dos Santos (18-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 211 pay-per-view headliner at American Airlines Center in Dallas following prelims on FX and UFC Fight Pass, is on the cusp of tying the longstanding divisional record of two consecutive title defenses.

Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar share a piece of the record, and Miocic can join the elite group if he can get past Dos Santos, who won their first fight by unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 13 in December 2014. He said that accomplishment doesn’t hold the slightest bit of weight in his mind, though, nor does a potential chance to break the record in his next fight.

“If it happens, it happens,” Miocic told MMAjunkie. “I’m going to do it, but I’m not going to worry about it. I’m worried about him, the guy who beat me last time. If I keep winning, I’ll have a legacy. But I’m not here to make a legacy – I’m here to win.”

Miocic, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, enters UFC 211 on a four-fight winning streak. His past two victories came by first-round knockout against Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, and the hope is to continue that momentum against Dos Santos.

“Cigano” was the most recent person to defeat Miocic, though, and he did it by stopping 17 of 18 takedown attempts while landing the superior strikes over the course of five rounds.

Some fighters would be bitter toward an opponent who had beaten them previously, but Miocic said in his case it’s the opposite. He’s actually grateful for the loss, because despite the blemish on his record, he said it made him a superior fighter.

“Unfortunately, he beat me last time, which kills me inside,” Miocic said. “But I want to thank him at the same time because it made me better.”

If Miocic was able to hang with No. 5-ranked Dos Santos in a fight 29 months ago, it’s fair to assume an improved version should do even better in the rematch. Dos Santos, who has only fought twice since the first contest, has more question marks around him, and with all those factors combined together, the champion sees an advantage on his end.

“I’m getting better every fight,” Miocic said. “I don’t care, if I’m getting my hands on him, it’s not going to last five rounds.”

For more on UFC 211, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.