![]() Ngannou needs to have a more refined game plan and maintain as much space as possible in the rematch, otherwise he could face a repeat on what went down three years ago in Boston. Ngannou landed 14 significant head strikes on Miocic in the thrilling opening stanza at UFC 220 – several of those punches would’ve ended the night against most other heavyweights – but Ngannou only managed to land three combined significant head strikes over the final four rounds of the fight. Miocic’s superior boxing skills and his vastly superior grappling resulted in a clean sweep of the scorecards.Įven though it lasted all 25 minutes, the fight was essentially over after the first round. Ngannou loaded up on his punches and swung widely looking for the knockout in their first bout, but it didn’t work like it had in so many of his previous wins. 13-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on UFC roster five Performance of the Night bonuses averages 1.34 knockdowns per 15 minutes sixth-most finishes in UFC heavyweight history Notable wins: Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, Curtis Blaydes (x2), Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Andrei Arlovski 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on UFC roster most successful title defences in UFC heavyweight history most total strikes landed in UFC heavyweight history nine post-fight bonuses (three Fight of the Night, six Performance of the Night)įighting out of: Las Vegas via Batie, CameroonĪge: 34 | Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 263 poundsĪrm reach: 83 inches | Leg reach: 44.5 inches Notable accomplishments: Two-time UFC heavyweight champion No. ![]() Notable wins: Daniel Cormier (x2), Francis Ngannou, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski, Roy Nelson Ngannou II… TALE OF THE TAPEĪge: 38 | Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 234 poundsĪrm reach: 80 inches | Leg reach: 39 inches The winner of this fight is expected to take on Jon Jones later this year in what should be the most anticipated heavyweight title matchup in UFC history.īefore we cross that bridge, let’s take a closer look at Miocic vs. The two heavyweight stars are ready to run it back in Saturday’s main event at UFC 260 with Ngannou aiming to get revenge and begin a new era as champion, while Miocic could cement his status as the most accomplished heavyweight in UFC history with a second win over Ngannou. Ngannou landed some big shots early, but Miocic used his athleticism to move out of punching range and head movement to make it difficult on the challenger.It has been more than three years since Stipe Miocic humbled Francis Ngannou at UFC 220 to hand him the first loss of his mixed martial arts career. He had the kind of well-rounded game that Ngannou couldn’t hope to compete against. He was a star wrestler at Cleveland State and then went on to compete in the national Golden Gloves boxing championship. He had shown exceptional striking skills in wins over Fabricio Werdum, Junior dos Santos and Overeem and had won the title by knocking out Werdum while backing up.īut Miocic is not only a good striker, but he’s a well-rounded fighter who has a strong wrestling background. His punching power was the talk of the pre-fight build-up, and that annoyed Miocic. He’d won his last four fights entering the match with Miocic in less than two minutes each, capping it by a Knockout of the Year against Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 in December. Ngannou went off as the favorite as a result of a frightening string of victories. “I’m not the scariest, but I’m the baddest man in the world,” Miocic said, deadpan, in the cage after the fight. But Miocic countered with his own good shots and had the ability to compete on the ground. Ngannou landed some shots early in the bout, as Miocic showed off a good chin that left him with a shiner. ![]() ![]() This one was the most fraught with danger, as Ngannou was vastly bigger than the 6-foot-4, 246-pound champion and hit hard enough to end the fight with one shot. Miocic withstood the storm from the freakishly hard-hitting Ngannou, using his wrestling and grappling ability to neutralize the big man and win a unanimous decision.Īll three judges had Miocic winning 50-44, giving him his third consecutive successful title defense, thereby setting a divisional record.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |