Here’s Stipe Miocic’s Australia experience in a nutshell.
Miocic whipped Mark Hunt about as badly as anybody ever has for 23 minutes on Saturday night, forcing a fifth-round TKO stoppage in the main event of UFC Fight Night 65. Along with the victory, he’ll likely capture something close to No. 1 contender status in the perennially unstable UFC heavyweight division.
Then Miocic woke up at 5 a.m. to watch his beloved Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA playoffs and reveled in Lebron James’ game-winning shot. Oh, he also spent some time searching social media for the phrase “Stipe sucks” (and at least one NSFW variation thereof), just to keep tabs on the haters:
All in all, it was a pretty full weekend for a guy who is rapidly emerging not only as one of the UFC heavyweight division’s best fighters, but one of its most solid dudes.
Miocic is that rarest of UFC stars—the kind who seems like you might actually enjoy hanging out with him. He’s one of the few active MMA fighters who is worth following on social media, a guy who effortlessly manages to straddle the fine line between legitimate badass and laid back/interesting normal person.
Not even Saturday night’s string of little bummers—including a low-profile booking on the UFC’s digital streaming service, Hunt’s comparatively dreadful showing and some less-than-perfect refereeing—could undermine his moment here.
Miocic was lights-out against Hunt. The 5’11” “Super Samoan” landed his best punches in the first round, but the American quickly took control with his more refined striking, timely wrestling and superior cardio. He succeeded in keeping Hunt at the end of his jab for the majority of their fight, peppering him with combinations and short elbows whenever his shorter opponent gave him an opening.
In the end, though, it was Miocic’s pace and takedowns that won the day. He easily scooped up single-leg tackles whenever he needed them. Though Hunt was able to work his way back to his feet on numerous occasions, the effort it took and the punishment he received on the ground emptied his already suspect gas tank.
The fight probably should’ve been called off sooner, either by the referee, the ringside doctor or by Hunt’s corner. His left eye swelled shut, and there were times on the mat that he seemed powerless to stop Miocic’s barrage of strikes. But Hunt’s ability to withstand punishment is legendary and so—for better or for worse—he soldiered on until the final round, when referee John Sharp finally stepped in to save him from another volley of punches on the ground.
In the end, the scorecards weren’t needed, though they certainly would’ve come back as a clean sweep for Miocic. He broke Chael Sonnen’s five-year-old record for most total strikes landed in a bout and out-landed Hunt a whopping 361-46, according to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.
Now, of course, the most pertinent question about Miocic is what happens next.
As usual, much of the elite heavyweight landscape won’t be fully known until Cain Velasquez returns to reaffirm his position as divisional kingpin in a bout against interim champ Fabricio Werdum at UFC 188 in June. If Velasquez gets the victory—in a fight where he’ll assumedly be the favorite—then Miocic will have a good chance to nab immediate No. 1 contendership.
If Werdum manages to pull off an upset, then all bets are off. You could see the return of Junior dos Santos as a relevant contender, for example. Assuming things play out according to chalk, however, the only man who could conceivably dispute Miocic’s fitness for the next title shot might be Travis Browne.
Browne will fight Andrei Arlovski later this month at UFC 187. If Browne gets the better of that affair, he could potentially get first dibs on Velasquez.
It’s striking, in fact, how similar both men’s resumes are at this point. Both Browne and Miocic are 32 years old, and both will turn 33 this summer. That makes them mere spring chickens by the standards of the hoary old heavyweight division.
Browne’s career record stands at 17-2-1, while Miocic is 13-2, and they both lost to previous top contenders during 2014. Browne dropped a title eliminator via decision to Werdum in April and Miocic lost a fight via scorecards to Junior dos Santos in December, but he at least got rewarded with a Fight of the Night bonus for his trouble.
So, as it stands, either guy could get the nod. If there are any delays with the title picture—as there almost always are—then Browne vs. Miocic would make for a No. 1 contender bout that almost nobody would complain about.
For now, however, it seems Miocic has done all he can do to leave a good impression. He’s been making friends and influencing people since arriving in the Octagon in 2011.
Now, we’ll soon find out if UFC brass has taken notice, too.
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