Stipe Miocic

UFC: Derrick Lewis says August is ‘looking real good’ for his rematch with Francis Ngannou

by

Last month at UFC 260, Francis Ngannou (16-3) knocked out Stipe Miocic (20-4) to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. After the fight was over, the attention immediately turned to the super fight between Ngannou and Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC).

Jones is widely considered to be the greatest fighter in UFC history. Last year, he vacated his light heavyweight title in order to prepare for his move to the heavyweight division. The fight everyone wanted looked like it was going to happen.

However, financial negotiations never got off to a good start. There never was any positive momentum with the UFC and Jones and as of right this second, the fight appears to have no life.

With that, the promotion has moved on to the number on contender Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC). The Black Beast has won four fights in a row. He’s coming off of a highlight reel knockout over Curtis Blaydes.

Lewis and Ngannou have already fought once back at UFC 226. The fight was expected to deliver a knockout, but instead, both men looked tentative and Lewis went on to win a decision due to a little more activity.

UFC 265?

Lewis spoke to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani where they talked about the rematch with Ngannou. The Black Beast said that the UFC offered the fight to both men for June, but the heavyweight champion wanted to go back to Cameroon and take some time off.

With that, Helwani followed up asking about when the next target is. Lewis responded with, “August is looking real good right now.” That would likely be slated for UFC 265 which already has the title fight between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena.

From all indications, this appears to be the date the UFC is pushing for. There is positive momentum towards this fight, but there is one thing that can throw a wrench into it all. That thing is Jon Jones.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion parted ways this week with his management. We don’t know if that was due to the failed negotiations, but it’s something to keep an eye on. I wouldn’t rule out Jones ultimately getting the fight, but right now the smart money is on Ngannou – Lewis 2 headlining UFC 265.

What’s next for Stipe Miocic after UFC 260?

by
MMA, Stipe Miocic

Last Saturday at UFC 260, Stipe Miocic (20-4) was looking to defend his heavyweight title against Francis Ngannou (16-3). The fight was a rematch from their first matchup back in 2019 where Miocic dominated the fight.

In the first fight, Miocic was able to use his cleaner striking technique and wrestling to win the matchup. However, the word had been that Ngannou had closed the gaps in those areas over the last couple of years.

UFC 260 was going to be a test for both men. Would Ngannou be able to close the gap and beat the best heavyweight in UFC history? Would Miocic be able to take the same shots he did in the first fight?

Well, on Saturday night we got our answer. Stipe Miocic really wasn’t able to get going at all on Saturday night. Francis Ngannou was patient and showed off his good striking technique with unbelievable power.

Miocic went for a takedown halfway through the round and Ngannou sprawled beautifully. Ngannou then took the back of Miocic and hit him with some bombs. In the second round, Ngannou dropped Miocic with a big straight left hand.

One of the premier shots for Stipe Miocic is his pull back right hand. It’s the punch that made him a UFC champion. After Ngannou dropped him, Miocic got up and landed his right hand flush. The problem was that he thought Ngannou was more hurt than he was.

Miocic rushed in thinking it was a golden opportunity and was caught with a short left hook from Ngannou. That left hook put him out cold and crowned Francis Ngannou the new UFC heavyweight champion.

What’s next for Stipe Miocic after UFC 260?

Stipe Miocic was knocked out by Daniel Cormier, but this one felt so much worse. We all know the power Ngannou has and Stipe was knocked stiff by The Predator. On top of that, Miocic absorbed a massive hammer fist after the knockout shot landed.

With his UFC title reign over, what’s next for Stipe Miocic? Right now, I think Stipe just needs to take some time off. His wife is going to give birth to their first son over the summer and that needs to be his focus.

With the UFC 260 knockout, he needs to give him brain time to recover as well. In his last five fights against Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou, Stipe has been knocked out twice and in the other fights he’s absorbed massive shots.

He took to Instagram this week and didn’t sound like someone who was ready to hang it up. However, there’s a lot going on in the title picture at heavyweight and I think Stipe Miocic just needs to sit back and watch it play out.

The former UFC heavyweight champion should target a return in early 2022. He should come back for one more shot at the heavyweight title and walk away regardless of the result just like Daniel Cormier did at UFC 252.

Who will Francis Ngannou face after UFC 260?

by
Francis Ngannou

This past Saturday at UFC 260, Francis Ngannou (16-3) became the heavyweight champion of the world. Ngannou knocked Stipe Miocic (20-4) old cold in the second round to become the undisputed champion.

UFC 260 was the pinnacle for Ngannou who waited nearly two and a half years to get another shot at Miocic. In their first fight, Ngannou showed his inexperience with how wild he was on his way to losing a decision.

Saturday night, Ngannou was calm and composed. He dominated the fight from start to finish and scored the biggest knockout of his career. Ngannou is now 5-0 with five knockouts in his last five fights.

The UFC has their next superstar in Francis Ngannou. For months, we figured that Ngannou would be facing Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) if he were to capture the heavyweight title. At least, that’s what Dana White had been saying.

However, Jones and the UFC appear to be at odds right now. Before the weekend, we thought we had a clear picture of the heavyweight title picture. However, it now appears that everything is cloudy.

Who will challenge Ngannou after UFC 260?

Right now, the UFC has two primary options for Ngannou’s first title defense. The first and most obvious choice is Jon Jones. Jones is considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time.

The long reigning light heavyweight champion has been preparing for his move to the UFC’s heavyweight division. Again, prior to this latest public spat, the promotion had been saying that Jones was next for the heavyweight title.

Dana White said after Saturday that Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) could actually be the next in line for the heavyweight title. Lewis and Ngannou have already fought once in an extremely underwhelming affair that took place at UFC 226.

However, Lewis has won four fights in a row to put himself in a prime position in the heavyweight division. If Jones’ issue with the UFC cannot be resolved, I fully expect Derrick Lewis to get the next shot at the title.

The wildcard in this entire situation is Stipe Miocic. Miocic and Ngannou are 1-1 with both men having dominated one of the fights. In theory, it would make sense to do another trilogy, however, there are multiple barriers.

The former UFC heavyweight champion and his wife are getting ready to have another baby. With that and the knockout, I would expect Miocic to take some time off. Ngannou is wanting to be an active champion so that pretty much rules Miocic out.

This situation is going to be very fluid, but I would expect a resolution before the month of April is over. If I had to put money on anyone, I believe they will get the Jones situation resolved. However, when it comes to the egos involved, who really knows.

Stipe Miocic is still the greatest heavyweight in UFC history

by
MMA, Stipe Miocic

This past Saturday at UFC 260, Stipe Miocic (20-4) was looking to defend his title against Francis Ngannou (16-3). The two men had previously met two years ago with Miocic having dominated the fight.

However, the second fight was much different. Miocic wasn’t able to get Ngannou to the ground with his wrestling so he was forced to stand with Ngannou. Unlike the first fight, Ngannou was calm and composed on the feet.

A calculated Ngannou knocked Stipe Miocic out cold in the second round at UFC 260 to become the heavyweight champion. Miocic rose up to his feet after the knockout with pure disappointment on his face.

While it was a horrific knockout loss for the former UFC champion, this loss takes nothing away from his legacy. Stipe Miocic still hold virtually every record when it comes to being a heavyweight champion.

It’s incredible to think that Miocic was the betting underdog in most of his heavyweight title fights. Yet, he holds the record for the most title defenses at heavyweight and most wins in a title fight at heavyweight. Simply put, he’s the best the UFC‘s ever had.

Stipe’s Legacy After UFC 260

For Stipe Miocic, he cemented his legacy back at UFC 252 when he defeated Daniel Cormier for the second time. Yes, he lost his title to Francis Ngannou, but to me, that changes nothing.

All of Miocic’s records still stand after UFC 260 and he still holds a win over Ngannou. Now the question becomes, what’s next for Miocic? Miocic is 38 years old and him and his wife have another baby on the way. I would expect a decent layoff for Miocic no matter what.

There’s a chance we may never see him fight again. If that was the last time, I’m afraid most people will have underappreciated one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in combat sports history.

UFC 260 might have been the end of the Miocic era, but it’s important to look back and realize how special he was. A blue collar guy from Ohio who maintained his job as a firefighter just happened to become the greatest and most decorated heavyweight in UFC history.

The UFC to send Jon Jones offer to fight Francis Ngannou this week

by
UFC, Jon Jones

Last night at UFC 260, Francis Ngannou (16-3) became the heavyweight champion of the world. To do that, he knocked out the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history, Stipe Miocic (20-4).

Ngannou showed incredible improvement and poise as he knocked out the former champion in the second round. After the fight was over, immediately people started talking about the potential matchup with Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC).

Jones is widely considered to be the greatest fighter of all time. He’s currently been transforming his body as he prepares for the heavyweight division. It’s been understood for weeks that Jones would take on the winner.

However, Dana White through some cloudiness into that last night. White suggested that the UFC could pivot to a fight with Derrick Lewis. Lewis is considered to be the top contender that sits in the heavyweight division.

Of course, this didn’t sit well with Jones. The UFC President said last night that if Jones prices himself out of the fight, it’s another way of him basically saying he doesn’t want the fight. Jones was not thrilled with the comments.

UFC to submit an offer this week

Around this same time nearly a year ago, we faced a similar position. Jones was interested in moving up to the UFC’s heavyweight division to take on Ngannou in a one-off superfight.

However, after the UFC failed to up the offer to Jones and a public spat ensued. Jones even publicly asked the promotion to release him due to the poor financial negotiations.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion vacated his title in the fall as he prepared to move to heavyweight. It seemed like the fences had been mended between Jones and the UFC up until last night.

That’s when the narrative seemed to change out of no where with White’s comments. Jones said on Twitter this afternoon that the UFC is going to be coming to him with an offer this week to fight Ngannou.

If the fight meets Jones’ expectations, we are likely going to see Jones get booked against the new heavyweight champion. However, if there’s any snag whatsoever, I would expect a quick pivot to the UFC and Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) will get the shot.

Francis Ngannou knocks Stipe Miocic out cold at UFC 260

by
Francis Ngannou

In the main event of UFC 260, we saw the heavyweight rematch we’ve been waiting a couple of years for. Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (20-3) took on top contender Francis Ngannou (15-3) for the second time.

The first time these two met was back at UFC 220. Despite Miocic being a dominant heavyweight champion, Ngannou was the betting favorite. The knockout artist from Cameroon had destroyed everything the UFC had put in front of him.

However, he couldn’t destroy Miocic. In fact, Miocic dominated their first fight over five rounds to defend his UFC heavyweight title. After that win, Miocic has spent the last couple of years in a trilogy with Daniel Cormier.

After that loss, Ngannou would drop another fight to Derrick Lewis in which he didn’t throw virtually any strikes. It had seemed he lost his confidence. However, he has that back in a big way.

Entering UFC 260, The Predator had won four consecutive fights by knockout. The more impressive thing is none of his opponents made it past 71 seconds. That dominant stretch had him as the betting favorite tonight despite the results of the first fight.

UFC 260 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 260 main event kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Both men looked patient to start this one. A massive leg kick lands for Ngannou to start the striking. A little pressure from Francis Ngannou early on.

Miocic was just gauging the range early on as another big leg kick lands for Ngannou. A massive right lands for Ngannou, but Miocic just takes the shot. Ngannou backs away and looks to reset.

Miocic shoots in for his first takedown, but Ngannou defends well then lands bombs on Miocic. Fight looks close to being stopped, but Stipe recovers and gets back to range. Ngannou breathing a little heavy, but staying patient.

The UFC champion is circling around the outside and Ngannou is looking tired already. Ngannou swings wild and doesn’t land. One minute left in the opening round and so far Stipe has taken Ngannou’s best shots.

A good low kick lands for Miocic. Ngannou lands a massive leg kick of his own. A little pressure from Ngannou, but both men were staying patient. The first round comes to a close and it was a big one for the challenger.

Round 2

The second round begins and the UFC champion had some damage around the left eye. Ngannou starts the striking with another big low kick. A solid lead left hook lands for Ngannou.

A massive left hook lands and Miocic is hurt badly. Stipe Miocic lands a good counter, but Ngannou puts him out cold with a counter shot. Francis Ngannou is Africa’s third UFC champion.

Francis Ngannou def. Stipe Miocic by KO – Round 2

UFC 260 Preview: Stipe Miocic – Francis Ngannou 2

by
MMA, Stipe Miocic

Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 260, we will see the heavyweight rematch we’ve been waiting for. The greatest heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic (20-3), will be defending his title for the second time against the scariest man in the division, Francis Ngannou (15-3).

These two met for the first time back at UFC 220. Ngannou seemed to have this invincibility quality about them when they first fought and that is how the fight was being sold. The Predator had destroyed everyone and many didn’t think Miocic had a chance.

However, that night, the UFC heavyweight champion proved just how special he was. Miocic ate some big shots, but never quit coming forward and ultimately dominated Francis Ngannou over the course of five rounds.

That fight completely shook Ngannou. Ngannou would go on to drop a decision to Derrick Lewis after that where he seemed extremely tentative. Many wondered if Stipe had broken the contender from Cameroon. However, Ngannou was able to emphatically turn things around.

Since that loss to Lewis, Ngannou has gone 4-0 in the UFC. Not a single one of those fights has gone more than 71 seconds. Now, we find ourselves in a very similar position leading up to tomorrow night.

Miocic has spend the last three years fighting one man, Daniel Cormier. Their trilogy concluded at UFC 252 where Miocic won a unanimous decision. Now, Miocic will look to close the Ngannou rivalry after going 2-0.

UFC 260 Prediction

The UFC 260 main event is so intriguing for a number of reasons. For one, I feel like were in the same spot we were just two and a half years ago. Miocic is the champion, but Ngannou has looked so dominant that he’s the betting favorite again.

However, we all saw how that played out the first time. But, I think this time, Ngannou is a different person. I think he believed he was truly invincible the first time they fought and with that loss, it made him humble.

When you’re looking at the totality of their skillsets, Miocic is the better fighter. He has the better cardio, the better grappling and the cleaner technique. However, that still might not be enough at UFC 260.

Everything in me says the smart money is on Stipe Miocic. The heavyweight champion just always finds a way to get it done. However, I don’t think he can take the same shots he did during their first matchup.

The reason why I’m leaning towards Ngannou at UFC 260 is the fact that he’s only one clean shot away. When you have that great equalizer, it’s hard to bet against. I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Miocic walk away with the title, but I think Africa picks up their third UFC championship tomorrow night.

Prediction: Francis Ngannou by KO – Round 1

State of the UFC’s heavyweight division

by
MMA, Stipe Miocic

The last month has been incredibly busy for the UFC‘s heavyweight division. In the month of February alone, three fight nights were headlined by heavyweight clashes that shook up the heavyweight division.

However, outside of fighting, we also saw some big news come in last night regarding the heavyweights. The UFC released former heavyweight champion, Junior Dos Santos (21-9) and former title challenger, Alistair Overeem (47-19, 1 NC).

Both men were ranked inside the top 12 at heavyweight so the news is shaking up the rankings a bit. The release of JDS wasn’t surprising, but Overeem had just headlined UFC Vegas 18 against Alexander Volkov (33-8).

Volkov looked better than ever and stopped Overeem in the second round. However, Overeem had won two in a row prior so the decision to release was rather interesting. Nevertheless, Overeem is no longer with the promotion.

After Volkov’s big win, we saw UFC Vegas 19 which was headlined by Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) and Curtis Blaydes (14-3, 1 NC). Both of these men were looking to stake their claim as a top contender and that’s exactly what Derrick Lewis did.

After Curtis Blaydes easily won the first round, Lewis put him to sleep in the second round. Lewis is now tied for the most knockouts in UFC history and he’s ranked second in the heavyweight division.

Last weekend at UFC Vegas 20, we saw the conclusion of the heavyweight main events. Ciryl Gane (8-0) took on Jairzinho Rozenstruik (11-2). It was the only fight that went the distance and it lacked for action, but Ciryl Gane dominated his way into the top five at heavyweight.

State of the UFC’s heavyweight division

After all of these fight nights, there is a big more clarity in the heavyweight division. At the end of this month at UFC 260, Stipe Miocic (20-3) will take on Francis Ngannou (15-3) for the heavyweight championship in a rematch.

After this fight, we already know what is next. Regardless of the outcome, Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) is getting the next crack at the heavyweight title. Jones vacated his light heavyweight championship to pursue the heavyweight title and he’s getting an immediate title shot.

I would say that whoever loses the title fight in March will likely face Derrick Lewis next. Lewis would be the number one contender if Jon Jones wasn’t moving up. Given where Stipe and Francis both stand, the UFC will likely let Lewis fight the winner after UFC 260.

With that, I believe that Volkov will likely be fighting Ciryl Gane next. Both are now ranked inside the top five and a win for either man would probably put them just one more win away from a title shot.

By the process of elimination, we could also see Curtis Blaydes and Rozenstruik fight next. Both are coming off of a loss, but both are still ranked inside the top six. The top of the heavyweight division is looking very exciting and I can’t wait to see how 2021 plays out for the big boys in the UFC.

After big knockout at UFC Vegas 19, what’s next for Derrick Lewis?

by

This past weekend at UFC Vegas 19, the heavyweights took center stage. In the main event, “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis (25-7, 1 NC) took on Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-3, 1 NC). Both men carried winning streaks into the octagon on Saturday night.

Curtis Blaydes was the heavy betting favorite on Saturday night. Blaydes was the second ranked heavyweight in the UFC and outside of Francis Ngannou, nobody has been able to touch him inside the octagon. Most expected a heavy dose of wrestling from Blaydes on Saturday night.

Derrick Lewis is the heavyweight knockout king. He stands alone atop the UFC‘s heavyweights when it comes to knockouts. The Black Beast has freak power and for that reason, many expected Blaydes to focus on the wrestling and grappling. We’ve seen Lewis struggle there before.

However, early on in the fight, Blaydes was content with standing with Lewis. Curtis Blaydes seemed apprehensive and tentative to shoot with the power of Lewis. Derrick Lewis seemed to be trying to time an uppercut on a shot from Blaydes.

In the first round, Curtis Blaydes actually got the better of the standup. The range was really bothering Lewis and Blaydes seemed to find a rhythm on the feet. In the second round, Blaydes tried to transition to his wrestling. However, Lewis defended the first takedown and they stayed standing.

On the second takedown attempt, Lewis landed the uppercut that he was trying to time. A lifeless Blaydes flopped to the floor and ate a few follow up shots. Another knockout win for the UFC‘s heavyweight knockout king.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 19?

When the UFC rankings come out tomorrow, I would fully expect Derrick Lewis to be ranked second. He’s now on a four-fight win streak and he also holds a victory over current top contender, Francis Ngannou.

While many focus on just his knockouts and his interviews, Lewis has put together quite the run in the UFC’s heavyweight division. If Jon Jones wasn’t moving to heavyweight, The Black Beast would be getting the winner of Miocic/Ngannou 2 which happens next month.

However, with Jones getting the next shot at the title, the UFC will have to do something else with Lewis. The perfect fight for Lewis is the winner of this weekend’s main event at UFC Vegas 20.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane are battling it out and whoever wins will be ranked in the top five. Lewis hasn’t fought either of those top contenders so a matchup between them would make perfect sense. Perhaps that would be the co-main event to the Jones heavyweight title fight later in the summer.

Francis Ngannou planning on redemption at UFC 260 after falling short the first time

by
Francis Ngannou

The most terrifying heavyweight in the UFC is not the heavyweight champion. That title belongs to the number one contender. I don’t think anyone doubts that the most terrifying heavyweight is Francis Ngannou (15-3).

The top contender has won four straight fights in under 71 seconds. Watching Ngannou makes me think of the Rocky 4 line, “Whatever he hits, he destroys.” When he’s on and focused, nobody in the UFC has had an answer for Ngannou.

Well, nobody but the heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic (20-3). Miocic and Ngannou first fought in the headliner of UFC 220 back in January of 2018. Ngannou was coming off of a knockout over Alistair Overeem where he sent his head to the moon.

Despite the fact that Miocic was a dominant champion, Ngannou went into the fight as the betting favorite. Ngannou had destroyed everything that was put in front of him by the UFC. For that reason, the oddsmakers figured this fight would be the same.

However, Miocic had different plans. Miocic took some good shots in the first round. But, the champ proved to Ngannou that he wasn’t going to be easy to put away. As the minutes kept going, Stipe Miocic was still in front of Ngannou.

What resulted was a five-round humbling loss for Francis Ngannou at UFC 220. This 25 minute experience was incredibly important to Ngannou and he believes that will be key for his redemption at UFC 260.

Will Ngannou get redemption at UFC 260?

Ngannou was on the Joe Rogan Experience yesterday where he talked about his journey from Cameroon to being the top UFC heavyweight contender. When asked about the first fight with Miocic, Ngannou said the first fight is key to his redemption.

“The Redemption,” Ngannou said of the rematch. “I had two feelings from that fight. First, I was upset and disappointed. However, since that day, I look back at that fight and say, ‘This is good.’ I learned so much from that fight.”

Ngannou also talked about the fact that he spent more time in the cage at UFC 220 than he had previously in his entire career. That experience has changed the way he prepares and he believes that the world will see the difference on March 27th.

Of course, Ngannou has a tall mountain to climb to wrestle the title away from Stipe Miocic. Ngannou might be the betting favorite again at UFC 260, but if we’ve learned anything about the champion, it’s never doubt him. He has a habit of proving people wrong.