A look back at the best fights of Stipe Miocic, the heavyweight GOAT of the UFC
Stipe Miocic solidified his status as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history after he beat Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 via unanimous decision. Miocic now holds 2 wins over Cormier as they completed the trilogy on Saturday Night.
With the heavyweight title on the line, the main event of UFC the 252 PPV produced an intriguing fight between two of the best fighters ever to enter the octagon.
Miocic started the fight well in round 1 but Cormier managed to hurt him at the end of the round with a heavy shot. Miocic survived the adversity and had his moment at the end of round 2, as he knocked "DC" down with a crisp combination. Cormier was saved by the bell just as the fight looked to be finished.
Miocic looked in firm control of the rest of the fight in what was a very evenly matched contest and eventually went on to win a unanimous (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) decision.
Stipe Miocic has now defended his belt 4 times in his two terms as the champion of the UFC heavyweight division, which is a record for most successful heavyweight title defenses. His fight record now stands at 20 wins and 3 losses.
Miocic holds wins over heavyweight mainstays and former champions like Junior Dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, as well as Francis Ngannou, and of course Daniel Cormier (twice). He put his name in the debate of the best heavyweight of all time, a long time ago. After coming out as the winner of his trilogy against Cormier, he just cemented his legacy as the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time.
Here we take a look back at some of the best performances of the heavyweight champion, inside the octagon. Here are the top 5 fights of Stipe Miocic's career.
1. Miocic vs Weredum (UFC 198)
Stipe Miocic got his first shot at heavyweight gold at UFC 198, against then champion Fabricio Werdum, in his opponent's home country of Brazil. Werdum is known for his high-level BJJ game and submission skills. He was the first man to beat "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko for almost 10 years.
Miocic, known for his range control and boxing ability kept the fight standing. He knocked out Werdum with a short right hand while moving backwards. It was like a scene from a movie.
The Cleveland born firefighter tasted UFC gold for the first time at this very moment in 2016. He completely silenced the pro-Werdum home crowd.
The fight showed how good of a boxer Miocic is and the kind of knockout power he possesses.
It also marked the start of a new era in UFC heavyweight history. Stipe Miocic went on to become the most dominant champ of the division.
2.Miocic vs Overeem
At UFC 203 in 2016, Stipe Miocic was set for his first title defense against former K-1 kickboxing champion and MMA legend Alistair Overeem. Overeem is a true veteran of the fight game and holds stoppage wins over the likes of Brock Lesnar, Junior Dos Santos, and many more.
Miocic defended his belt successfully in an eventful one-round fight. Alistair Overeem, known for his striking prowess, managed to drop Miocic as he caught the champion with a well-timed punch. He also got Miocic locked up in a guillotine choke but Miocic managed to get out of the submission attempt. Although Overeem claimed he felt a tap from Miocic, replays and live accounts disproved this.
Miocic managed to get Overeem, who was fighting from the outside throwing wild shots, with his own shots in the exchanges and got him to the ground. Then he managed to finish the fight via ground and pound, registering a first-round TKO victory on his record.
It was the first successful title defense of Stipe Miocic's career. Combating adversity against a fighter like Overeem obviously puts this fight in his top 5 career wins.