Stipe Miocic expects his rematch against Francis Ngannou to look different than the first encounter between the two heavyweight greats.
One of, if not the biggest feathers in the cap of Stipe Miocic’s illustrious career is his UFC 220 victory over Francis Ngannou during a time Ngannou was viewed by many to be a completely indestructible force of nature. Following this setback and his three-round staredown against Derrick Lewis, Ngannou has gone back to his destructive ways, looking more dominant than ever before. To defeat Ngannou for a second time and once again put a halt to his breakneck momentum would once again be an incredible feat for Miocic.
Stipe Miocic Looks To Finish An Improved Ngannou
Stipe Miocic has always been a very confident champion, and he will once again bring his high level of self-belief into the cage in his rematch against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. So it goes without saying that Miocic expects to exit the UFC APEX “and still,” but he doesn’t think the fight will go exactly how it did the first go-round because of improvements made on both sides.
“It won’t be nothing like the first fight because he’s definitely gotten better and so have I,” Miocic told MMA Fighting in an interview released Monday. “A lot of things are going to change. I’m trying to make it a more one-sided fight, and of course try to end it early, but he’s gotten better. The man hits hard and it’s the heavyweight division so anything can happen.”
It will be a daunting task for Miocic to outdo his first performance and make a victory even more one-sided, but one way to do that is to secure a finish, which is what the champion is striving for. Many people have questioned if Ngannou has truly improved his game, as his haymaker-laden style seems to be consistent with the Predator that is known and feared. But Miocic’s logic seems to be that there is no way Ngannou and his team have not made major adjustments in the three years since their first encounter.
“He’s got a great coach and a great team and they’re definitely working with him, making him better. He’s definitely gotten better but so have I,” Miocic said. “I think whoever implements their game plan the best is going to win. He’s definitely gotten better, but he’s also got that one factor that everyone thinks he hits hard and he does hit hard. You’ve just got to watch out for it.”
UFC 260 takes place this Saturday, March 27, 2021, from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Do you believe the rematch between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou will look different from their first fight? If so, in what way?
