Stipe Miocic: 5 Defining Moments
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Miocic has been on a tear since his 2014 decision loss to Junior dos Santos, having rattled off six straight wins -- he finished five of them -- against elite opposition. In a career brimming with defining moments, here are five that stand out.
1. Hostile Host
Miocic captured the heavyweight title in front of an unwelcoming Brazilian crowd at UFC 198 on May 14, 2016. Less than four months later, he was back in action against fellow knockout artist Alistair Overeem. Miocic displayed his ferocious but calculated striking skills, at times forcing the Dutchman to run away from his fists. He caught Overeem off-balance after a half-hearted kick and landed in top position with less than a minute to go in the first round of their UFC 203 main event. From there, Miocic rained punches and sealed the victory in front of family, friends and hometown fans at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
2. Champion’s Resilience
The fight with Overeem, while brief, was not without adversity. In fact, the challenger nearly finished Miocic roughly a minute into the contest, as the kickboxer launched a powerful left hand that dazed the champion. A lesser fighter might have folded. Overeem tried to finish with a guillotine choke, but Miocic freed himself, quickly recovered and imposed his will. Clearly, Overeem was in no mood to trade punches.
3. Violent Revenge
Miocic’s much-awaited rematch with dos Santos on May 13, 2017 offered no shortage of violence, but it did not last nearly as long as their first encounter. It was a short night’s work for the Strong Style Fight Team rep at UFC 211 in Dallas. Miocic rocked the Brazilian with a right and followed with a barrage of punches to force the stoppage 2:22 into the first round. The win brought with it a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus and marked his second consecutive successful title defense, tying Miocic with Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez for most all-time in UFC heavyweight history.
4. Consistently Brutal
Before his recent conquest of the monstrous Francis Ngannou, Miocic tallied four quick finishes against high-level opponents, three of them former UFC champions. He needed a total of 7:28 to dispatch Arlovski, Overeem, dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum.
5. Making History
Heading into his showdown with Ngannou at UFC 220 on Jan. 20, Miocic wanted to become the first UFC heavyweight champion to successfully defend his title on three consecutive occasions. The obstacle in front of him was precarious, as Ngannou entered the cage on a 10-fight winning streak, with all 10 victories coming by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The challenger enjoyed some success in the first round, particularly with his right hand. However, as the fight moved into deeper water, Ngannou’s pace slowed to a crawl and Miocic began to do what he wanted when he wanted to do it. All three judges scored it for the champion: 50-44, 50-44 and 50-44.
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