'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
We’ve got a new UFC Heavyweight champion this morning, and his name? Stipe Miocic. The firefighter from Cincinnati, Ohio knocked out Daniel Cormier to reclaim the title he lost to ‘DC’ last summer, and with this victory, his name definitely belongs in the conversation when it comes to the greatest Heavyweight in MMA history.
Miocic came into the UFC as a man largely known for his excellent wrestling – he competed at an NCAA Division I level for Cleveland State – but over his 8 year tenure in the Octagon, it’s his brutal punching power that’s allowed him his greatest successes.
Simply put, Miocic is one of the most dangerous knockout artists in UFC history – and these are his greatest 5 KO finishes.
#5 vs. Andrei Arlovski – UFC 195
When the UFC decided to book a Heavyweight title rematch between champion Fabricio Werdum and former champ Cain Velasquez in early 2016 rather than give Miocic – who had stopped former top contender Mark Hunt in brutal fashion a few months prior – his opportunity, the firefighter had plenty of reason to feel aggrieved. And so when he was booked instead against another former champ in Andrei Arlovski, it was time for Miocic to take out his frustrations.
Take them out he did; Miocic came in like a man possessed, showing no respect for Arlovski despite ‘The Pitbull’ being on an impressive 4 fight win streak. He walked the Belarusian down, backed him up and hurt him with a short right hook. Smelling blood, Miocic quickly added another that sent Arlovski down, and then pounced to land some bombs to finish the fight.
Miocic’s post-fight actions were just as telling as the knockout; he roared at UFC President Dana White, demanding the next title shot, and after a performance like this, who could argue with him? This was a great knockout – a one-sided massacre in favour of a man on a mission to the top.
#4 vs. Junior Dos Santos – UFC 211
Miocic first clashed with Junior Dos Santos in one of the best Heavyweight fights in UFC history in December 2014, and despite being knocked down badly in the third round, it looked like Stipe had done enough to get the nod on the judges’ scorecards after largely beating Dos Santos up from the clinch and at close range. Surprisingly though, all three judges went the other way and awarded the fight to JDS.
Just over two years later, the two were booked in a rematch, and this time the UFC Heavyweight title would be on the line. Things had changed a lot, though; Dos Santos looked like he’d slowed down substantially, while Miocic was on top of his game as the reigning champion – and he was clearly gunning for revenge.
It didn’t take him long to take it, either. After JDS had some surprising success with some early leg kicks, Miocic quickly corralled him towards the fence – his traditional weak area – and followed with a huge overhand right that sent the Brazilian down to his knees. A series of punches on the ground finished the fight – probably too late due to referee Herb Dean being a little slow – and Miocic had avenged his past loss in the most brutal fashion imaginable.
#3 vs. Alistair Overeem – UFC 203
After Miocic won the UFC Heavyweight title in May 2016, he wasn’t exactly faced with an easy first defense. Instead, former StrikeForce, DREAM and K-1 champion Alistair Overeem – one of the most feared strikers in MMA – was signed to face him, in Miocic’s hometown of Cincinnati for good measure. Overeem had been on a hell of a run, taking out Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, Junior Dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski, and there was an argument that the champion was actually the underdog coming into the fight.
At first, it looked like Miocic was indeed outgunned. After an odd moment that saw Miocic chase the challenger across the cage, Overeem landed a huge left hand that sent the champion crashing down. The Dutchman quickly pounced and locked up a guillotine, and the fight looked practically over – but somehow, Miocic managed to get his head free.
Despite being wobbly, Miocic got to his feet and began to wing heavy punches at Overeem, who continued to throw back, albeit seemingly with less confidence than before. Suddenly it was Miocic who seemed in command, and when Overeem attempted to run to avoid another exchange, the champion was able to hit a takedown from the scramble that ensued – and once he landed on top, he knocked ‘The Reem’ clean out with some brutal punches from inside the guard.
Sure, the fight had an air of sloppiness about it, but it didn’t matter; not only was it a hugely entertaining clash, but Miocic had been able to retain his title over a highly dangerous opponent in dramatic – and violent – fashion.
#2 vs. Fabricio Werdum – UFC 198
Miocic was finally granted his first title shot in May 2016, although the circumstances were somewhat strange; he stepped in as a replacement for the injured Cain Velasquez against Heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 196, but when that show was cancelled due to Werdum withdrawing, the UFC simply kept the pairing together and rescheduled for UFC 198.
Stipe was coming in as an underdog – how could he not, given Werdum had beaten the hell out of Velasquez when they’d fought and also had wins over the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira? But even fighting in Werdum’s home country of Brazil couldn’t deter the challenger.
Werdum appeared to be a bit too anxious coming into the fight, winging wild combinations towards Miocic, who stayed calm under fire and was also able to stuff the Brazilian’s takedown attempts. The champion eventually walked into a hard right hand counter that clearly hurt him, and decided to return fire, charging in with another flurry.
This time Miocic was poised and ready – and he nailed the oncoming Werdum with a counter right that dropped him face-first. No follow-up shots were even needed as the Brazilian was unconscious – and Miocic had captured his ultimate goal. This was an all-time great knockout, reminiscent of the great Chuck Liddell’s finish of Randy Couture in 2005 – and set the tone for Miocic’s path to becoming one of the all-time greats himself.
#1 vs. Daniel Cormier – UFC 241
Recency bias may well be kicking in here but I think last night’s knockout of Daniel Cormier stands head and shoulders above anything else on Miocic’s already substantial ledger – even moreso than the vicious knockout of Werdum that won him the UFC Heavyweight title in the first place.
So what makes his knockout of Cormier so brilliant? Well, for starters there’s the fact that it was the first time in a long time that he was coming in as a genuine underdog; he’d avenged his loss to Dos Santos previously, but then JDS hadn’t knocked him out viciously in their first meeting like Cormier had. And Cormier appeared to be on the top of his game coming in, while Miocic hadn’t fought since suffering that knockout at the hands of ‘DC’ over a year prior.
Then there was the fact that Miocic had clearly lost the first three rounds; sure, he’d hung in there and hadn’t looked stunned, but Cormier had slammed him to the ground in the first to show his wrestling dominance, and he’d also landed the far better strikes, using his superior speed to catch Stipe over and over.
None of that mattered come the fourth round, though. Cormier suddenly looked like the more tired of the two while Miocic – although he was battered and bruised – seemed relatively fresh in comparison. He began landing his left hand to the body of Cormier over and over, and ‘DC’ soon begun to slow down. Finally a vicious body shot had Cormier hurt, and Miocic followed by landing a massive combination that knocked him down – and out – to reclaim his title.
The win not only made Miocic just the second man to stop Cormier, but it also gave him his fifth win in a UFC Heavyweight title fight – putting him just one behind the legendary Randy Couture. And while it was his 9th knockout in UFC action – in 13 victories, an impressive statistic – it was clearly his best, too.
