UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and light heavyweight titleholder Daniel Cormier are set to give mixed martial arts fans one of the best matchups the sport has to offer when they go head-to-head for the heavyweight strap in the main event of UFC 226 on July 7. 

Miocic most recently entered the cage against Francis Ngannou at UFC 220 in January, scoring a unanimous-decision victory and breaking the record for most consecutive title defenses for a UFC heavyweight champion at three. 

Despite all of his success in the cage, Miocic has not received the promotional push that other champions have received.

And even without the hype surrounding Miocic, American Kickboxing Academy coach Bob Cook — one of Cormier's trainers at the San Jose, California-based gym — knows his fighter faces a stiff challenge against the 18-2 heavyweight king.

"Stipe, I think, has set the record for the most UFC wins at heavyweight,” Cook acknowledged during an interview with Submission Radio. “I think for some reason he's been overlooked in what he's accomplished a little bit, just because he's maybe not been the flashiest personality. But his actions in the ring speak for themselves." 

Cormier (20-1, 1 NC) is known for his wrestling, finishing fourth in the 2004 Olympics and being named the team captain in 2008 before suffering kidney failure due to excessive weight-cutting, and Miocic has also shown a strong grappling game. 

Because of that, Cook believes the heavyweight clash could lead to an all-out brawl. 

"I think what you're going to see happen is kind of what usually happens when you got two really good wrestlers in there. It kind of cancels each other out, and they end up brawlin'," he said. 

That could lead to an advantage for Miocic, who is a former Golden Gloves boxing champion, but AKA head coach Javier Mendez thinks Cormier’s mental strength will be the determining factor in the fight. 

"I think it's going to come down to mind strength," Mendez said. "And DC's will is extremely impressive. His will to win is very high. His speed factor, I think he's a little faster and he's definitely a better wrestler. But we'll see. I think it's all mental. 

“It's going to come down to who wants it more and who's going to go out and put it out there. We already know DC is. Crazy Bob will tell you: Some of the fights, he breaks his freaking hand and he won't tell us because he's afraid we'll stop the fight. That's a guy that wants to win, and he'll do whatever he needs to do to win, injury or no injury if that happens during the fight." 

We'll see how the super fight plays out this summer. 

UFC 226 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, coinciding with International Fight Week. 

By Josh Sanchez