The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Miocic: UFC wants victory by Ngannou
Stipe Miocic isn’t one to trash talk leading up to a fight, but that doesn’t mean the champ won’t speak his mind.
Stipe Miocic isn’t one to trash talk leading up to a fight, but that doesn’t mean the UFC heavyweight champion won’t speak his mind.
The Eastlake North graduate — while on “The MMA Hour” Jan. 8 — said he feels the UFC would like to see No. 1 contender Francis Ngannou beat him Jan. 20 in the main event at UFC 220 in Boston.
“Obviously, for sure,” Miocic said on the show. “Listen, I feel a little bit disrespected, but I’m not
going to dwell on it.”
Miocic might be referring to a Dec. 29 news conference in Las Vegas to promote UFC 220. Miocic and Ngannou were at the event with UFC president Dana White presiding.
During the news conference, White was giddy with excitement about Ngannou’s punching power, which he equated to “96 horsepower,” “more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer,” and “like getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can.”
Meanwhile, Miocic is on the cusp of history. If he beats Ngannou, Miocic (17-2) will become the first UFC heavyweight to defend the belt three consecutive times.
Still, the buzz on Ngannou (11-1) continues to build
as his knockout of Alistair Overeem last month in Detroit was the talk of the UFC for weeks. His first-round KO of Overeem came via a vicious left uppercut. It left Overeem unconscious for minutes.
“He’s got more hype on him I guess,” Miocic said on “The MMA Hour.”
“The guy hits super hard. We’re making a big thing about it. I’ve fought some good guys, you know? That’s how we are. I’m not much of a trash talker. I just like to fight. That’s what I do.”
Since the start of 2016, Miocic has hardly been tested.
His only mistake was getting knocked down by Overeem in September 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena, but he rebounded quickly from that mistake with a first-round KO.
Here are the results from Miocic’s last four fights:
JAN. 2, 2016 » Andrei Arlovski,
KO first round.
MAY 14, 2016 » Fabricio Werdum, KO first round (to win the heavyweight championship).
SEPT. 10, 2016 » Overeem, KO first round (title defense).
MAY 13, 2017 » Junior dos Santos, KO first round (title defense).
Another factor that could have led to Miocic’s Jan. 8 claim is the fact — as heavyweight champion — he opened as an underdog with the Las Vegas sports books, and continues to be one with the bout less than two weeks away.
“Whatever,” Miocic told The News-Herald in December. “I’m used to it.”
Miocic said he doesn’t take being a Vegas underdog as a slight, but added, “The smart money will come at the end (of the fight).”
This is the first time Miocic is an underdog since he defeated Fabricio Werdum in May 2016 to win the
heavyweight championship belt. Miocic closed as +138 underdog in that bout, meaning a $100 bet would net $138.
According to bestfightodds.com, Miocic is currently a +168 underdog.
“The odds don’t matter. What matters is what happens on the 20th, right?” Miocic’s coach Marcus Marinelli told The NewsHerald. “We know what we know. It’s a little disrespectful, and it tends to fuel (Miocic’s) fire a bit. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. We’ve been underdogs, we’ve been favorites. It is what it is.”
What is important for Marinelli is keeping his boxer focused on Ngannou, whom he calls “a dangerous opponent.” History, though, is also on the line, and Miocic knows that chatter is unavoidable.
“Everyone talks about it, so you have to think about it,” he said. “But listen, I’m here to win.”