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Morning Report: Stipe Miocic putting a premium on speed ahead of Francis Ngannou rematch: ‘Speed kills’

February 05, 2021
Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Stipe Miocic knows that Francis Ngannou has improved since the first time they fought, but unfortunately for Ngannou, Miocic says that so has he.

In 2018, Miocic defended his UFC heavyweight title against Ngannou at UFC 220. Heading into the fight, many believed it would be a coronation for Ngannou, who had torn through all of his competition thus far. Instead, it was a high point for Miocic, who dominated Ngannou for 25 minutes, winning a unanimous decision and breaking the record for most consecutive UFC heavyweight title defenses.

Since their first fight, Miocic and Ngannou have continued to excel. Following the loss, Ngannou dropped his next bout before rebounding to win his last four in a row, all by first-round knockout. Meanwhile, Miocic lost his heavyweight title to Daniel Cormier but then regained it a year later in a rematch and then won a trilogy fight with “DC” this past year. All that winning from both men has set up Miocic and Ngannou for a rematch at UFC 260 in March, and though much has changed since their first fight, Miocic thinks the main thing will remain the same.

“Francis is a super tough guy,” Miocic said on the Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette podcast. “He’s been knocking everyone out again and he’s on a tear, and unfortunately he’s going to have to fight me again. That’s the bad part. He’s definitely gotten better, but so have I.

“I know I’m getting old, but I’ve gotten wiser and I’m learning a few new tricks up my sleeve. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, which is a lie. I’ve learned a lot ever since the last fight which couple years ago. So yeah, it’s the same outcome. I’m going to walk out with the belt still wrapped around my waist: and still.”

In their first fight, Miocic carried the day due to his savvy, durability, and wrestling. Miocic was able to survive the early storm from the heavy-handed slugger, exhausting Ngannou and then taking over with his superior cardio and grappling skills . And while those attributes will likely play a part in their rematch as well, for this fight Miocic thinks he has yet another ace up his sleeve. Following his loss to Cormier, Miocic made a concerted effort to stay lean and fast, coming in 10 pounds lighter in the rematch with Cormier and was noticeably quicker as a result. Given his success there, it’s a plan he intends on sticking with against Ngannou.

“More timing and speed,” Miocic said. “Really just speed. It’s all about speed. I think speed kills and that’s something we’ve really worked on the last couple camps fighting ‘DC.’”

While UFC 260 is a big event on its own merits, if Miocic can once again defeat Ngannou, there remains an even bigger prize down the line. This past year, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones officially vacated the 205-pound division and announced his intention to move up to heavyweight. Given all that Jones has accomplished, it’s presumed that the winner of UFC 260 will face “Bones” next in one of the biggest fights in UFC history. It’s a tantalizing prize but one that Miocic says he’s not going to focus on just yet.

“I heard that too (about defending against Jones next),” Miocic said. “Listen, I’ll fight anyone. Right now though, the task at hand, the only thing I’m thinking about is Francis.”

UFC 260 is set to take place on March 27, likely in Las Vegas.

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VIDEO STEW

Between the Links.

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Overeem watches his past fights.

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LISTEN UP

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

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Showtime.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ode Osbourne (8-3, 1 NC) vs. Jerome Rivera (10-4); UFC Vegas 18, Feb. 6.

Donald Cerrone (36-15) vs. Diego Sanchez (30-13); UFC Fight Night, May 8.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thanks for reading, enjoy the fights, and see y’all on Monday.

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let him know about it. Also follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

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