Stipe Miocic vs The Predator Francis NGannou
Since time and memorial, the heavyweight champion of the world has always been deemed the baddest man on the planet. Whether it was K1, boxing or now in mixed martial arts. In Ultimate Fighting Championship, he’s their top dog. And right now sitting at the top of the heap, is one Stipe Miocic.
The proud Croatian American has reigned supreme in the division, since beating Fabricio Werdum in his own backyard. Finishing the Brazilian with a beautiful short right hand, which for once, left the crowd in Curitiba silent.
Miocic has since gone on to defend his title a total of two times. Tieing the record which was set by several of the former champs. Two times you say, a seemingly low bar in terms of dominance. But when it comes to huge men swinging hammers with a little bit of 40z padding for safety. You can understand why it is so difficult to remain at the very top.
On January 20th at UFC 220, Miocic will look to break the record and defend his title against the latest big man to look invincible inside the octagon. As Cameroon’s Francis NGannou lines up to be the next opponent to test Stipe’s steel.
Now many fans seem to be already counting Miocic out? Prematurely crowning the hard-hitting NGannou as the obvious successor to the throne. With even the UFC president himself seemingly enamoured. Reeling off the stats on how hard Francis hits. At pounds per square inch and with comparisons to swinging sledgehammers. From this angle, it sure looks like many have already jumped off the Croatians bandwagon. And run straight into the arms of the big man from Cameroon.
The Bigger They Are
But if there is one thing we know for sure in this sport. Often the bigger they are, the harder they most definitely fall. With this obsession on the power dynamic of the fight. Some might forget that there is a lot more to “MMA” than just throwing hands.
How often have we seen a fighter become so overconfident in that one particular skill set, that they simply over-rely on it? Leaving themselves open and vulnerable others threats. It’s a mistake we see played out over and over again. With many not learning along the way until it’s too late.
There can be no denying NGannou can knock out anyone. And much of the time with one punch. But what if I told you that Miocic actually carries a higher KO ratio, hmmm? 76% vs 64% to be exact. And it has to be said, against a higher calibre of opposition, over a longer period.
We have yet to see what Francis can do if he ends up on his back. What will he look like if he has to go past the second round? Somewhere he has yet to be tested! If Stipe can manage to avoid that one-punch KO power. To drag the big man kicking and screaming into the later rounds. What kind of Francis NGannou will we see, the predator or the prey? On January 20th at UFC 220 Stipe Miocic vs Francis NGannou, we find out…
Images courtesy of inquisitir.com and bjpenn.com
