Imagine being the greatest UFC heavyweight champion and still being the underdog in your upcoming fight against someone you already beat. CRAZY, huh?
Well, that is the case, because as of the moment, Stipe Miocic is coming in as a underdog for the build-up. Although the odds could change on the night of the fight, it is still crazy, considering Miocic pretty much won all the rounds in their first fight.
Miocic may not had a knockout win in his last fight but he won convincingly and it was against a much better opponent which is Daniel Cormier.
You could understand that Ngannou had a more impressive win since his past opponents could not even survive the first round. But none of his opponents could compare to the level of Daniel Cormier’s. Yes, he fought Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos who where former champion but they were just a shell of their former self.
It is no disrespect to Ngannou being the favorite but rather they don’t give the greatest Heavyweight champion his due. Even if Ngannou wins the rematch, they are still not giving enough credit to Miocic. Ngannou still has not shown that he could defend the takedowns of Miocic, plus his cardio for the later rounds could be in question.
What makes the Heavyweight division interesting is because one punch can change the outcome of any fight which is the case for pretty much all of Ngannou’s fights.
Meanwhile, Miocic has shown he can come back mid fight by adjusting to his opponent’s tendencies. He even outwrestled Daniel Cormier, a Olympic wrestler for the better part of the fight.
There is just utter disrespect to Miocic, considering his achievements as a champion. He broke the record for most consecutive title defenses for a heavyweight champion and he also avenged his lost against Daniel Cormier by beating him twice. It could be added motivation for Miocic to prove once more why he is the greatest heavyweight.
