Is Stipe Miocic The Greatest Heavyweight of All Time?
Stipe Miocic went into the octagon to take on the former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier in a historic battle. Going into UFC 252, both Cormier and Miocic had won one fight each against each other, and it all came down to the trilogy that decided who the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time is.
Both Miocic and Cormier had their moments in the fight but it was Miocic who got his hand raised after the fight. Going into the trilogy, Dana White claimed that the winner of the fight will be the greatest heavyweight of all time.
Stipe Miocic has done some incredible things in UFC heavyweight division. He has defended the heavyweight title for a record number of times. Miocic beat the former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier, twice. With such a decorated resume, Stipe Miocic is certainly in the conversation of being the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time. However, can we consider him the greatest heavyweight we have seen in MMA?
When we talk about the greatest heavyweights of all time, names such as Fabricio Werdum, Cain Velasquez, Fedor Emelianenko comes to mind. Stipe Miocic beat Fabricio Werdum to become the UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 198. Besides, Fabricio Werdum has a lot more losses than Stipe Miocic. So it is very likely that one would put Stipe Miocic on top of Werdum in the GOAT list.
Cain Velasquez is undoubtedly the most talented heavyweight of all time. However, he was never able to achieve his prime due to numerous injuries. Though he has some huge wins his record is not as impressive as Stipe Miocic's.
Who is better? Stipe Miocic or Fedor Emelianenko
Overlooking Fedor Emelianenko while making a list of greatest heavyweights of all time is an impossible task. With 39 wins and 6 losses in the heavyweight division, Fedor Emelianenko remains one of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever exist. Unfortunately, he never competed in UFC, which is considered to be the best promotion in terms of the level of fighters. So it is difficult to compare the resume of Miocic and Emelianenko.
Fedor Emelianenko was a dominant heavyweight in multiple organizations, especially PRIDE. He has wins over some of the toughest fighters in MMA such as Mark Hunt, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Heath Herring, and former UFC champions such as Tim Sylvia, and Andrei Arlovski.
If we compare the list of opponents both Miocic and Emelianenko have beaten in their career, Emelianenko certainly seems the better fighter. However, the sport has evolved a lot. Stipe Miocic might destroy the opponents that fought Fedor Emelianenko back in the days. And who knows what The Last Emperor would have done to fighters such as Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, Stipe Miocic at his prime.
Overall, Fedor Emelianenko has a more impressive resume. He has fought multiple generations of fighters in the last two decades. He dominated the heavyweights with ease and the skillsets he displayed was second to none. Fedor's insane knockout power, explosiveness, and grappling put him on a different level compared to his competitors. Now it can not be confirmed whether prime Fedor Emelianenko would have beaten Stipe Miocic.
Stipe Miocic is without a doubt the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time. However, considering the resume, dominance in the heavyweight division, and achievements, calling Miocic the greatest heavyweight of all time is highly debatable.