Croatian-American heavyweight Stipe Miocic made a statement at UFC 195, tearing through former champ Andrei Arlovski in 54 seconds, before demanding a title fight from UFC executives.
It was an uncharacteristic move. The typically polite and mild-mannered big man was rampaging around the octagon like a silverback gorilla, screaming, “Are we on the same page now?”
It appears that they are, with UFC president Dana White confirming that Miocic is next in line to challenge the winner of the upcoming heavyweight championship bout between Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez, on February 7.
“Who the hell was going to say no to him? He was like a psycho. I wasn’t going to say no,” White said at the UFC 195 post-fight press conference.
“We are on the same page, Stipe,” the promoter added with a smile.
Miocic, the number-two ranked contender in the UFC’s divisional rankings, has certainly made a strong case for his first ever crack at heavyweight gold.
Since 2013, the seasoned knockout artist has only lost once – dropping a competitive five-round decision against former champion and pound-for-pound stalwart Junior dos Santos.
But the six-foot-four, 110-kilogram contender bounced back, dominating Sydney-based slugger Mark Hunt, and now putting Arlovski down for the count in under a minute.
It seems like an open-and-shut case for Miocic, but if you’ve followed this sport for long enough, you should know there’s no such thing in the UFC.
White did promise Miocic a championship fight, but the company figurehead has been known to play fast and loose when guaranteeing title shots.
Just last year, White promised UFC women’s bantamweight star Miesha Tate a third crack at then-champion Ronda Rousey. Tate had entered a training camp to prepare for her most prominent rival when the company’s decisions makers changed their tune, announcing that Rousey would face Holy Holm instead.
The problem is mixed martial arts isn’t a traditional sport. In a stick-and-ball league, as long as you continue to win, you’re headed straight to the top. The same rules don’t always apply in the UFC.
The UFC brings in the lion’s share of their revenue via pay-per-view. With that comes an expectation of compelling matches and star power in the main events.
Miocic has proven himself as an exceptional fighter, but not as a leading man.
An even bigger problem for Miocic comes in the form of Dutch kickboxer Alistair Overeem. The 35-year-old former Strikeforce, DREAM, and K-1 champion has compiled a pretty underwhelming UFC campaign so far, lodging a 5-3 record in the foremost MMA promotion, but has an ace up his sleeve.
The 115-kilo muscle man completed his last contracted fight last month, when he knocked out former UFC king dos Santos, and is presently the hottest free agent on the market.
With his size, personality, and a proven track record for providing sudden and violent knockouts, ‘The Reem’ is likely to get hefty contract offers from companies, domestically and internationally.
Viacom-owned promotion Bellator MMA is expected to be the leader in the hunt for Overeem’s services. The former champ has a healthy relationship with Bellator president Scott Coker, and would be a perfect fit in Bellator’s unique circus on Spike TV in the United States.
It seems unlikely that UFC brass would let Overeem free without a fight, though. And with that in mind, offering the veteran a contractually guaranteed title bout would be a useful bargaining chip at the negotiation table.
With Overeem’s devastating knockout of dos Santos fresh in fans memories, it wouldn’t be hard for the UFC boss to justify the Jackson Winkeljohn-trained fighter as the new top dog, which would obviously dash Miocic’s title hopes.
It’s a turbulent time for the heavyweight division in the UFC, and plenty can – and probably will – change before the next number-one contender is set in stone.
But for now, at least, White seems to believe Miocic is the man for the job.
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