Stipe Miocic’s challenge Saturday night involved multiple layers. Break out of the shadows of CM Punk’s highly publicized debut. Rise above the madness of the near-brawl following the Fabricio Werdum-Travis Browne fight. Defeat one of the most decorated heavyweights in combat sports history. Defend the UFC heavyweight championship for the first time. And do it all while facing the pressure of a rabid, sold-out hometown crowd.
UFC 203 was the kind of manic setting that can sidetrack the unfocused, and for a moment, everything seemed ready to unravel for Miocic. Just a minute into the fight, his opponent Alistair Overeem dropped him with a left hand, then moved in to close with a guillotine.
As danger zones go, this was DEFCON 1 status.
For a long time, the submission was Overeem’s signature, with nine of his victories coming via that specific choke. Miocic was in trouble, so much that later, Overeem would say that he felt Miocic tap out during the sequence—although replays showed no such tap—but he found a way out. He stayed composed, and he persisted.
If there was a championship moment in the fight past his later bombardment of Overeem that actually ended it, this was it. Everything on the line, panic an abundant resource, and Miocic out-savvied an MMA O.G.
“I wasn’t even close to tapping,” Miocic said in the Fox UFC post-fight show. “He had my neck. I know that, but I passed guard and he let go. I don’t understand how he thought that [I tapped]. But I put him to sleep, so it’s all good.”
The courageous moment is an excellent sign for the 34-year-old champ, who made his first successful title defense in the process.
Miocic will have to show increasing levels of resolve as the target on him grows. On Saturday, on the same card, No. 1 contender Fabricio Werdum emerged victorious. But since Miocic's knockout of Werdum is still fresh in the minds of most, it will likely be Cain Velasquez who gets the next crack at him. The two-time former champion is fresh after stopping Travis Browne on punches at UFC 200, looking revitalized in the process.
In many ways, Velasquez is the only fighter on the roster that can equal the breadth of Miocic’s physical skills.
Miocic is a unique talent because of his athleticism. In truth, there are not that many great athletes in professional mixed martial arts. But Miocic played two sports in college, lettering in both wrestling and baseball. He also was a Golden Gloves champion boxer. You can see some of that background in his footwork, technique and power. Beyond those gifts, his conditioning has proved to be elite, as he’s been able to create and sustain a torrid pace for five-round fights.
Velasquez is his contemporary in that department, a heavyweight that lands 6.49 strikes per minute, according to FightMetric, good for fourth all time among all divisions. Miocic, for comparison, lands 4.93 strikes per minute, still far ahead of most heavyweights.
Stipe Miocic polishes off another one. Cain vs Stipe is going to sick, ya'll.
— RJ Clifford (@RJcliffordMMA) September 11, 2016
That conditioning was what kept Miocic in the fight when he was in trouble, as not only did he rise to his feet, but he quickly shifted modes from defensive to aggressive as he began to chase Overeem around the cage.
Meanwhile, Overeem suddenly looked as though he had tired, with hands drooping to his side. With that setting, Miocic capitalized, landing a right behind the ear, and then bulling Overeem to the ground.
Given Overeem’s experience—over 50 MMA fights—it could have been a dangerous position for Miocic. Instead, he battered the former Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 champion from inside his guard, posturing up and landing a series of punches to the head that closed the show with 33 ticks left in the first round.
Still, Miocic admitted the pressure was difficult to handle, saying he would prefer to fight overseas than at home because of all of the extra demands on his time leading up to it.
But he better get used to it. When you’re the champion, pressure is the name of the game. It’s the second opponent, standing alongside the man you’re facing. Sometimes, it's even the more imposing one.
For now, Miocic wants a break. He’s fought three times in the first nine months of 2016 and managed to squeeze in a wedding as well. He owes his wife a honeymoon. That seems fair. But other than that, he’s the best kind of champion, one that's at the height of his confidence, and one that's on call.
“I’m not going to pick and choose where I fight or who I fight,” he said in the post-fight press conference. “If they want me to fight on Saturn, I’ll fight on Saturn. I’m the heavyweight champion of the world.”
Velasquez will put him to the test. And after Saturday night, we can be sure that Miocic is up for the challenge.
