No matter what Stipe Miocic achieves in his UFC career, he is always working to prove people wrong.
It seems ridiculous that he is the defending heavyweight champion, who holds the record for the most bastions of that title four times in UFC history. However, despite his superb run and 20–3 record, he is an underdog in seven of his 17 UFC fights. As a matter of fact, he favored winning only once in his last five fights. Interestingly enough, this was the first meeting with Daniel Cormier, which Miosic lost to the knockout.
More: UFC 260 start time, cards, PPV value and prospects for Stype Miosic vs Francis Nganou
However, Miocic already owns a major unanimous decision victory over Francis Ngannu, the champion will once again enter the Octagon as an underdog at UFC 260. To take things a step further, it is almost a certainty that Miocic defeated Naganno and faced John Jones. The former light heavyweight champion’s debut as a heavyweight, Miocic will once again be a dalit.
This is absurd, but a method of insanity.
You see, Miocic is far from being a flash and flare fighter and is a symbol of a blue-collar worker. Although he is the heavyweight champion, Miocic has retained his day job as a firefighter in Ohio, not necessarily featuring the superstar heavyweight champion in the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
He doesn’t talk a lot, nor does he go out of his way to be a celebrity. If you see him in person, he is older than your average human, but there is nothing in particular about him. He just gets work.
often.
He did not make it to the UFC after making a debut against Joey Beltran at UFC 136, but was stopped by Stephen Struve in 2012 – another fight in which he was a favorite – it felt like Mihic is going to be a solid, Yet supernatural heavyweight. But after a “Fight of the Night” performance loss to Junior dos Santos in 2014, everything changed.
It wasn’t too spectacular, but each win saw Miyosik chip away in the heavyweight rankings, until he met in a title showdown with Fabrico Verdem, who was believed to be the greatest heavyweight at the time.
Miocic paused Verdum to become the heavyweight champion in the first round and was stranded together in a knockout victory against the Ostern Overim and a comeback fight against Dos Santos, before stepping into the Octagon with the indestructible known as Nganou.
By that time, Miocic did not carry much weight on the title run. By that time, none of the champions had defended the heavyweight title more than twice, so the prevailing thought was that Miocic would see his reign there and that Nganno would get his try in a completely unstable division.
But then the Miocic dominated Nganou and the people were forced to pay attention. There was rumbling that perhaps the Miocic deserved more honors as champions. He ended up inadvertently at UFC 226, when Daniel Cormier rose from light heavyweight and outscored Miosic in the first round. Mioceic would win the rematch and trilogy but was a downtrodden in both fights. And now he is back in the Octagon with Nganou and once again not getting the appreciation from the odds despite himself holding a number of UFC records:
- Most Consistent UFC Heavyweight Championship Rescue (3)
- Most UFC Heavyweight Championship Safety (4)
- Most attacks occurred in a heavy fight (361) vs. Mark Hunt
- Most post-fight awards in the UFC Heavyweight Division
what does this mean?
May be nothing.
But should Miocic defeat Ngannou again at UFC 260, it may be time to consider that Miocic should be a favorite in every fight until he is proven wrong. Then again, perhaps it is better for Miosic as he continues to prove people wrong every time and every time he steps into the Octagon. Should he defeat Nagnanu, assure the rest that the world will see John Jones as the favorite in that fight.
There is not yet a champion completed as Miocic under the radar. When all this is said and done, he may be the most successful Dalit in the history of MMA.
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