Stipe Miocic V Francis Ngannou Preview : It's the biggest heavyweight clash in years!
In any other world, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who has won his last four bouts in the first round via KO, would be the most feared man on the planet. However, Francis Ngannou presents a man mountain of a test and his power is surely unrivalled the sport full stop. The Cameroon-born fighter has the hardest punch ever recorded in UFC history and has steamrolled through his competition in the company thus far. His last four fights have also ended in first round KO victories - something has to give.
Odds of 6/1 are available with Betfair for Miocic to win in the first round (£100 free bet)
The Champ
Stipe Miocic has bided his time, but when he got a chance at the very top of the heavyweight division, he refused to let the opportunity pass him by. At 32-years-old and at 6'4", there are not many more formidable heavyweights than the Ohio-born Miocic. His hands are his best tool and 13 KOs from the 17 wins to his name, there's no prizes for guessing how he likes to get the job done. In fact, he has only won via submission once before and as mentioned previously, his punching ability has been the difference-maker. In his last title defence, Miocic avenged the most recent of his two defeats in his career with a first-round stoppage of Junior dos Santos. Many might argue he was lucky to retain against Alistair Overeem in the bout before that after being dropped early on, but he recovered to win like a true champion.
Get odds of 6/4 with Betfair for Stipe Miocic to win (£100 free bet)
The future
With a record of 11-1 - with his sole loss coming via decision in his second ever fight - Ngannou is not the most experienced fighter you will ever meet, but his last two victories come over opponents that have lost to the champion in recent memory, Alistair Overeem and a former UFC heavyweight champion in Andrei Arlovski. His calibre of opponents has risen, but the strike he beat Overeem with last time out is truly something scary and Bleacher Report named it the knockout of the year for 2017. Ngannou was basically living in poverty in Cameroon before he decided to start training as a boxer and he was living on the streets of Paris in France just four years ago. However, with his terrific build and unbelievable power, he's become the sensation the UFC has been looking for since Conor McGregor's rise.
Coral are offering odds of 11/20 for Francis Ngannou to win (£20 free bet)
FREEbets.org.uk Prediction
Ngannou is only one year younger than Miocic, but, he has fought seven times less. That may play into UFC 220's main event, but the fact that Miocic a big striker and will probably want to exchange with Ngannou, it's hard to imagine he'll be able to withstand the challenger's power long.
Odds of 8/11 are available with Betfair for Francis Ngannou to win via KO (£100 free bet)
Statistics
- Both men have won their last four fights via knockout in the first round
- Both men have defeated Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski
- This will be Miocic's third title defence