This past Saturday at UFC 260, Stipe Miocic (20-4) was looking to defend his title against Francis Ngannou (16-3). The two men had previously met two years ago with Miocic having dominated the fight.
However, the second fight was much different. Miocic wasn’t able to get Ngannou to the ground with his wrestling so he was forced to stand with Ngannou. Unlike the first fight, Ngannou was calm and composed on the feet.
A calculated Ngannou knocked Stipe Miocic out cold in the second round at UFC 260 to become the heavyweight champion. Miocic rose up to his feet after the knockout with pure disappointment on his face.
While it was a horrific knockout loss for the former UFC champion, this loss takes nothing away from his legacy. Stipe Miocic still hold virtually every record when it comes to being a heavyweight champion.
It’s incredible to think that Miocic was the betting underdog in most of his heavyweight title fights. Yet, he holds the record for the most title defenses at heavyweight and most wins in a title fight at heavyweight. Simply put, he’s the best the UFC‘s ever had.
Stipe’s Legacy After UFC 260
For Stipe Miocic, he cemented his legacy back at UFC 252 when he defeated Daniel Cormier for the second time. Yes, he lost his title to Francis Ngannou, but to me, that changes nothing.
All of Miocic’s records still stand after UFC 260 and he still holds a win over Ngannou. Now the question becomes, what’s next for Miocic? Miocic is 38 years old and him and his wife have another baby on the way. I would expect a decent layoff for Miocic no matter what.
There’s a chance we may never see him fight again. If that was the last time, I’m afraid most people will have underappreciated one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in combat sports history.
UFC 260 might have been the end of the Miocic era, but it’s important to look back and realize how special he was. A blue collar guy from Ohio who maintained his job as a firefighter just happened to become the greatest and most decorated heavyweight in UFC history.