ANAHEIM, Calif. — Stipe Miocic waited over a year to face Daniel Cormier again, and his plan for the rematch didn’t start to work until they were deep in the fourth round.

That’s when Miocic, the patient, determined firefighter from Cleveland, finally got his revenge — and suddenly reclaimed his Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title.

Miocic stopped Cormier with a barrage of punches in the fourth, taking back his championship belt with a comeback victory at U.F.C. 241 on Saturday night.

Miocic (19-3) lost the first two rounds on every judge’s scorecard in his rematch with the 40-year-old Cormier (22-2). After making some progress in the third, Miocic steadily came forward through Cormier’s blows in the fourth and finally hurt the champion with a punch to the body.