Stipe Miocic Feels More Deserving Of A Title Shot Than Andrei Arlovski
Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum turned the heavyweight division upside down when he battered former champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 188 (June 13, 2013) in Mexico City to steal the belt. There are now many interesting possibilities in the heavyweight division, and although “Vai Cavalo” granted Velasquez an immediate rematch, it seemed as if the UFC was deciding between No. 2-ranked former champion Junior Dos Santos, No. 3-ranked Stipe Miocic, and No. 4-ranked Andrei Arlovski for the next shot.
However, UFC president Dana White recently spoke up on the topic, saying that JDS is still hurt, narrowing the decision down to either Miocic or Arlovski. Miocic actually recently lost to Dos Santos in a bloody five round war last December, but recently bounced back with a dominant win over Mark Hunt in May.
Arlovski on the other hand, has won three straight since returning to the UFC last year, his most recent being a thrilling first-round knockout over Travis Browne at May 23’s UFC 187.
Despite the resurgence of “The Pitbull”, the Croatian believes that he is more deserving of the title shot. Speaking at a Q&A in Berlin, Germany ahead of today’s (June 20, 2015) UFC Fight Night 69 (Via MMAMania), Miocic gave his thoughts on the UFC 188 main event, and said that he believes he should have the better chance at earning the title shot:
“It was a good fight, both were going at it – Werdum came out on top. Y’know, I’m looking to get a shot now for my title shot,” Miocic said. “So it’s great, it’s between me and him [Arlovski], it’s a 50/50 chance but hopefully I get a better chance than him. Y’know, he’s a great fighter, but I feel deserve it more than he does.”
With both men arguably deserving of a title shot, the UFC has a tough decision on its hands. While Arlovski has put together quite the win streak, Miocic is 4-1 in his last five, his only loss coming to JDS. Who would you rather see challenger Werdum for the heavyweight strap?
