Okay, let’s talk about Stipe Miocic. I’ve spent a good chunk of time watching fights, really digging into the heavyweight scene, and something just keeps hitting me: this guy is seriously underrated.
My process wasn’t instant. At first, like a lot of folks, I was drawn to the loud guys, the ones with the crazy knockouts or the big personalities. You know the type. I’d watch the cards, see Stipe win, and just kinda nod. “Yeah, he’s good,” I’d think, but it didn’t fully register.
How I Started Seeing It
Then I started going back. I decided, as a sort of personal project, to rewatch entire careers, not just highlights. I put on Stipe’s fights, one after the other. I wasn’t just watching the finishes; I was looking at the rounds, the setups, the adjustments.
Here’s what I kept noticing:
- His boxing. It’s not flashy, maybe, but damn is it effective. Crisp, fundamental, always setting things up. He doesn’t just wing punches. I watched how he controlled distance against powerful strikers.
- The wrestling threat. Even when he doesn’t shoot for a takedown, opponents have to respect it. You see them hesitate, change their stance. That opens up his striking. I specifically tracked how often opponents seemed worried about the takedown, even in primarily striking exchanges.
- His composure. Seriously, I watched him get rocked, like against Overeem or DC in the first fight. He doesn’t panic. He recovers, gets back to the plan. That’s not luck; that’s experience and grit. I made a point to compare his recovery moments to other fighters in similar situations.
- Fight IQ. He adapts. Go watch the DC trilogy. He lost the first, then came back and made specific, smart changes to win the next two. He figured out the body shots, the clinch work adjustments. That takes analysis and the ability to execute a new plan under pressure.
So, I went through this whole process, fight after fight, comparing notes, really trying to break down what I was seeing. And the picture became clearer. People talk about Ngannou’s power, Gane’s movement, Jones’s overall skill (when he was active), but Stipe’s consistency and well-roundedness often get glossed over.
Why the Lack of Hype?
Maybe it’s because he’s a pretty regular dude. He’s a firefighter. He doesn’t do a lot of trash talk. He just shows up, does his job, and wins against the best, repeatedly. He holds the record for most heavyweight title defenses, but you don’t always hear that shouted from the rooftops like other stats.
I remember arguing with a buddy about this. He was all about the next big thing, the flashy contender. I pulled up Stipe’s record, pointed out the wins against Cormier, Ngannou (first fight), Overeem, Dos Santos, Werdum… the list is insane. My buddy just shrugged. “Yeah, but…” he said. That’s the thing, there’s always a “but” with Stipe for some people.
So, after all that watching, all that comparing, my takeaway is solid. Through my own practice of really analyzing his fights over time, not just casually viewing, it’s obvious. The man’s accomplishments, his skillset, his ability to win consistently at the highest level… it puts him right at the top. Yet, the general vibe often doesn’t match his actual record. That’s why I landed here: Stipe Miocic is definitely underrated.
