Not So Quick: Three Reasons Stipe Miocic Won’t Get A Title Shot

As one of the shallowest divisions in all of mixed martial arts (MMA), the UFC’s heavyweight roster desperately seeks out rising contenders on a yearly basis.

Amidst noteworthy win streaks and highlight reel finishes, fighters work their way towards the top of the weight class. But like many heavyweights in year’s past, it’s often difficult to remain a perennial threat.

Following UFC 195 this past Saturday, it seems as if Stipe Miocic is the next championship challenger in line. His 54-second knockout of resurgent Andrei Arlovski more or less forced the hand of UFC brass to reward him with a shot opposite the winner of Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez II.

But does the fireman from Ohio truly deserve the next chance to hoist divisional gold? Has the unstable heavyweight landscape catapulted Miocic beyond the worth his two-fight win streak actually commands?

Here are three reasons why the 33-year-old doesn’t deserve the next crack at heavyweight glory.

1. Current win streak

It doesn’t take too much to stand out in the heavyweight division. Two straight knockouts or three straight victories often leaves a fighter on the doorstep of contention.

But like almost every other weight class in the organization, the heavyweight roster must instill a precedence for challenging for the divisional championship. In Miocic’s case, his two-fight win streak should not be enough to earn a shot at gold. And if you dig deeper into his recent wins over Arlovski and Mark Hunt, the striker’s success begins to look like a product of good matchmaking.

With superior speed and athleticism, Miocic was supposed to dissect Hunt at UFC Fight Night 65. Well, on the heels of calculated distancing, multiple takedowns, and vicious ground-and-pound, Miocic out-struck Hunt 113-to-33 en route to a fifth-round TKO win. It was the most times that “Super Samoan” had been hit since 2006, leading us to believe that he was fed to a leaner and more athletic Miocic.

At UFC 195 this past weekend, despite Arlovski owning a four-fight win streak coming into the co-main event, Miocic was still a 2-to-1 favorite. While Vegas oddsmakers aren’t always the best source for MMA knowledge, they are well-versed enough to call a spade a spade. And in a matchup with a fighter who had been knocked out multiple times throughout his career, it was going to be nearly impossible for Miocic to lose.

Both TKO victories were impressive in their own right, but Miocic hasn’t necessarily conquered the world in the process of locking down a title shot.

2. Marketability

Like it or not, title shots are often based around the UFC’s ability to market a fighter.

It may seem unfair to many straight shooters around the sport, but the biggest MMA outlet in the world is all too familiar with what it takes to sell a fight. Serving as both promoter and matchmaker, unlike the boxing world, the UFC has all the power in 99.9 percent of situations (unless you’re name is Conor McGregor).

When it comes to the heavyweight division’s short list of highly marketable contenders, Miocic may in fact come up short. Despite screaming in rage following his UFC 195 victory in order to garner Dana White‘s attention and willingness to grant him his first ever title shot, Miocic’s mild-mannered personality is something the UFC tends to avoid.

His skills and overall potential within the division are certainly substantial, but his lack of popularity among casual fight fans could end up hurting him. As a result, guys like Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, or even a bantering Ben Rothwell, may pass Miocic by.

3. Alistair Overeem

With recent divisional collapses of guys like Arlovski, Frank Mir, Roy Nelson, and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, the UFC desperately needs to re-sign Overeem. But in order to retain the hulking free agent, the promotion may be forced to grant him a title shot.

While the UFC should never hand over a chance to challenge for a championship as a means of keeping a fighter on the roster, Overeem has also earned his opportunity inside of the cage. As the owner of a three-fight win streak, including a recent knockout of former champion Junior dos Santos at UFC on FOX 17, the 35-year-old has looked downright unstoppable since making the move to Team Jackson-Winklejohn in 2014.

Like Miocic, Overeem has risen above most of the other seething title contenders in the division. But with victories over the only two fighters who have beaten Miocic throughout his professional career (JDS and Stefan Struve), it seems as if “The Reem” holds a little bit of an advantage over the No. 1 contender.

Ben Rothwell, who defeated Overeem back at UFC Fight Night 50, could also be mentioned on this list as a fighter more deserving of a title shot than Miocic, but he too falls into the category of heavyweight names difficult to market. Even with three-straight finishes, two in the first round, “Big Ben” comes up a little short.

If the UFC wants to showcase the best heavyweight title fight possible with the most deserving name in the division, Overeem is the most obvious choice moving forward.