UFC 203 will feature the king of Cleveland, Stipe Miocic (15-2), in his first UFC heavyweight championship title defense.
Miocic ended his city’s long championship drought by knocking Fabricio Werdum out cold in front of Werdum’s home crowd. He’ll try to avoid the same fate when he takes on the No. 3 contender Alistair Overeem (41-14, 1 NC) in Cleveland.
Overeem earned his title shot with a four-fight winning streak featuring two TKOs and a knockout. The most recent was a finish against Andrei Arlovski. It has taken him nearly five years, but Overeem finally has a shot at the ultimate glory.
Miocic and Overeem both enjoy a slugfest. While neither man is scared of going to the mat, they prefer to do their work on foot. Cleveland should prepare for stand-up attrition on Saturday.
The hometown kid achieved his dream, but now he will try to make his mark by defending the crown. It is a championship that has never been defended successfully more than twice. It is one of the most volatile pieces of hardware in part because of the massive power the heavyweights wield.
Miocic and Overeem are both seeking history on Saturday. How will it shake out?
Read on to discover who the scales favor in UFC 203’s heavyweight main event.