And new! Francis Ngannou KO’s Stipe Miocic 52 seconds into Round 2 of their heavyweight title clash at UFC 260 to claim the belt, landing a hard left to put Miocic on the ground.
Miocic put his heavyweight title on the line in the highly-anticipated rematch against Ngannou at UFC 260. Fans waited three years for the rematch, and both men put on a fight we won’t soon forget.
The men entered the octagon, touched gloves and gave respect where it was due.
Miocic started the fight with a single-leg kick. Ngannou fiercely took Miocic down and landed hard punches from behind the champion. Miocic worked his way back to his feet but had yet to land a single punch.
Ngannou claimed the first round, having shown significant improvements in all areas of MMA since his first fight with Miocic at UFC 220 in 2018.
The second round was over before it really began. Ngannou landed a hard left to Miocic’s jaw after the Ohioan rushed in. Ngannou pounced on the downed Miocic, putting the champ to sleep.
UFC 220: The First Fight
The pair first met at UFC 220 in 2018. Ngannou entered the Octagon with a 6-fight winning streak, but he ultimately lost by unanimous decision. Miocic used his experience and wrestling and grappling skills against his opponent, known as the “Mike Tyson of MMA.”
Miocic took Ngannou down six times during the bout, dominating him each round. The fight took some of Ngannou’s confidence away, so it would seem, when he stepped into the Octagon for his next bout against Derrick Lewis.
He lost the bout via unanimous decision, but he won his next three by way of first-round knockout. All three bouts lasted under three minutes combined.
UFC 260: Francis Ngannou KO’s Stipe Miocic
Ngannou came into UFC 260 with a slight advantage in the betting lines over Miocic despite losing the first fight.
Many people worried that Ngannou lacked improvement in part due to the quick knockouts in his most recent wins. Miocic has proven himself as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. He knows how to defend himself, he knows how to wrestle and he can throw a pretty hard punch himself.
Ngannou shook hands with UFC President Dana White after the bout. He expressed interest in making his first title defense against former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
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