One of the most exciting heavyweight matchups in recent memory will pop off later tonight (Sat., Jan. 20, 2018) at UFC 220 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside TD Garden in Boston, Mass., when UFC champion Stipe Miocic meets knockout sensation Francis Ngannou in the main event.
This is a huge fight for both fighters. In Miocic’s case, it’s a chance to crack the UFC record books and lock down his historic third-straight heavyweight title defense. As for Ngannou, it’s the best opportunity he may ever have to burst onto the mainstream scene and solidify himself as one of the biggest stars in the sport.
In order to prepare ourselves for the impending chaos, lets take a deeper look at the keys to victory for both Miocic and Ngannou this evening in Boston.
Stipe Miocic
1. Utilize athleticism…
People are making so much out of Ngannou’s punching power and for good reason. “Predator” is a straight freak, even for the heavyweight division, and has shown the ability to destroy the competition with one single shot.
That’s a dangerous threat to face if you’re Miocic, but one the champion can overcome by utilizing his own athleticism. While Miocic is a heavyweight that can rely on his punching power to dictate a fight, the champion is usually at his best when he can utilize speed, footwork, positioning, and his natural athletic ability.
Against a bigger and stronger challenger like Ngannou, Miocic must remain agile inside of the Octagon. He should look to stick and move, change up levels, scramble away from danger, favor shot selection over wild power punches, pace his output, and compliment his heavy hands with speed, precision, and finesse.
2. Experimental wrestling…
The biggest mystery surrounding Ngannou’s heavyweight ability is whether or not the punishing knockout artist is able to hold his own in the wrestling department. We’ve seen Ngannou finish fights via submission before, but he’s never faced a proven wrestler quite like Miocic.
In order to test Ngannou’s full range of skill, Miocic has to be willing to shoot inside and work for a takedown. The reason why we’re calling it ”experimental wrestling” is because Miocic really doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. Ngannou was quick to shrug Alistair Overeem off of him against the cage at UFC 218 and may simply be too strong to hold down, or even get down.
Of course, Miocic could have immediate success, drag “Predator” to the canvas, sap his power, and finish him with ground-and-pound.
Francis Ngannou
1. Test strength early…
Much like he did against Overeem last month in Detroit, Ngannou should look to size Miocic up as quickly as possible. Whether it’s early clinch work along the cage, a takedown defense, or an exchange on the feet, “Predator” should look to put himself in a position that will test his natural strength against that of the champion.
While the laws of physics suggest Ngannou will always have a power advantage over a smaller heavyweight opponent like Miocic, things add up differently inside of the cage. Ngannou must find out if he can be hurt, taken down, or manipulated in close quarters by the champion. If “Predator” finds out that he’s able to dictate almost any position he gets himself into his confidence will allow him to handle Miocic like he’s competing against just another fighter in just another fight.
2. Pace and punish…
While Miocic has been tagged, and even finished, by strikes in the past, he’s one of the most durable heavyweights in the business today. He’s gone five hard rounds with Junior dos Santos, rebounded from a rough start against Overeem, and found a fifth-round finish against the unflappable Mark Hunt.
In other words, Miocic is built for this type of fight.
So even though Ngannou has the utmost confidence in his ability to finish Miocic at the drop of a dime, the challenger must be cautious of his output. Overextending his shots, loading up on his uppercuts, and launching blistering combinations is all well and good, but not if Ngannou is going to miss the more agile Miocic, burn his arms out, and put himself in trouble in the later frames.
To side step this potential issue, Ngannou must remain patient and pace his offensive attacks. When Ngannou does throw his hands he should look to finish, but if it isn’t there the Cameroonian needs to step back, reset, and look for another opening.
Prediction: Ngannou via first-round TKO