Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou 2 is one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history. After winning the trilogy against Daniel Cormier, Stipe Miocic earned the title of “The Greatest Heavyweight of All Time” and rightfully so. However, experience and skills do not matter much when Francis Ngannou connects clean against his opponent.
The most dominant force in the heavyweight division, Francis Ngannou has bounced back from his loss to Stipe Miocic with four first-round finishes. And now he will stand across his biggest rival in the main event of UFC 260.
But, will he be able to dethrone Stipe Miocic in the rematch or will he suffer the same fate at UFC 260? Let’s find out.
Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou Stats
Stipe Miocic
Wins/Loss- 20/3 (15 KO/TKOs)
Finish Rate- 75%
Most HW Title Defenses- 6
3rd Most Takedowns in HW history- 25
Most Strikes Landed in HW history- 1525
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Francis Ngannou
Wins/Loss- 15/3(11 KO/TKOs)
Finish Rate- 100%
Shortest Avg Fight Time in HW History- 5 Min 37 Seconds
How Stipe Miocic has evolved since UFC 220?
Since the win against Francis Ngannou, Stipe Miocic has fought three times against Daniel Cormier. He got knocked out in the first fight and won the next two to win back his title.
Though he has only fought the same opponent in the last 2 years Miocic has shown a ton of improvements. To put things into perspective, Stipe Miocic got knocked out in the first fight in a clinch and was outwrestled by Daniel Cormier for the first two rounds of the second fight.
However, Cormier was not able to take down Stipe Miocic in the third fight. It was obvious that Miocic had the upper hand in wrestling and clinch exchanges, which will matter a lot in the rematch against Francis Ngannou.
Stipe Miocic is in the best shape of his career and he has looked durable in his last two fights. He was able to change up his gameplans to win the second fight with DC in the fourth round after getting dominated in the first two rounds.
Stipe Miocic is more durable and has better cardio, better fight IQ than Ngannou. Miocic’s knockout power is also underrated. It has to be taken into consideration that when Nagnnou was fresh in the first round at UFC 220, Stipe had him hurt on the feet as well. And considering how fast he is now it won’t be shocking if he gets a TKO win over Ngannou.
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How Francis Ngannou has evolved since UFC 220?
The biggest aspect of the gameplan of Francis Ngannou is his knockout power. His strikes may not look pretty but it gets the job done. If he connects clean then most of the heavyweights are going to sleep instantly.
But, there is a huge difference between Nagnnou from UFC 220 to Ngannou from UFC 260. Ngannou looked bulked up for his fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 220. And compared to that physique he is way more conditioned now to go 5 rounds. Now he might not go 5 rounds with Stipe at a high pace. But he can be very effective for 2 or maybe 3 rounds. And that increases the possibility of Ngannou landing a KO punch.
Besides that, Ngannou will be more patient in his approach now. he has admitted that the biggest mistake in the first fight was his gameplan to finish Miocic early in the fight. So we can expect a Ngannou who will not rush in for a KO. But, we have not seen any significant improvements in the last four fights of Ngannou.
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Whether Ngannou has improved his takedown defense and grappling is still an unanswered question about his skillsets. Ngannou has beaten some tough opponents such as Junior Dos Santos, Curtis Blaydes, who is a phenomenal wrestler. However, they are not on the same level as Stipe Miocic.
Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou Prediction
It’s 25 minutes fight between two of the best heavyweights on the planet right now. But, Ngannou does not have to win the entire 25 rounds to become the heavyweight champion. Ngannou has to finish the fight inside the first 2 rounds. It’s very unlikely that Ngannou will land the KO punch against Miocic in the later rounds. But, his power will still be an issue for Miocic throughout the fight.
On the other hand, Stipe Miocic will need to fight a perfect fight for 25 minutes. He is a way better fighter than Ngannou. He is a better striker, better grappler, better wrestler, and has a better cardio and fight IQ. But, Ngannou has the biggest equalizer, which is his power and athleticism.
The first two rounds are going to very crucial. We have seen Miocic outclassed Ngannou for 25 minutes. But, it can not be guaranteed that history will repeat itself. Ngannou will be able to stop a few takedowns early in the fight when he is fresh. So Stipe will have to engage in a striking battle with the most ferocious puncher in the game.
But Stipe is way better than any of the opponents Ngannou has faced when it comes to defending a strike. His fight IQ puts him in a separate league. We have seen Stipe Miocic take the punches from some of the most powerful punchers in the game including Ngannou and still manage to survive and win the fight. So why doubt now?
Stipe Miocic will be able to weather the early storm in the rematch. Ngannou will try to be more patient and control the octagon by putting the pace on the champion. But, Miocic will be too elusive and smart for Ngannou.
And as the fight goes to the later rounds it’s very likely that Stipe Miocic will dominate Francis Ngannou. And this time if the fight goes to the championship rounds then Miocic is getting a TKO finish via ground and pound.
