Stipe Miocic’s UFC finishes, ranked

Kicking off the listing at No. 9 is Miocic’s 35-second execution of short-notice stand-in, Fabio Maldonado.

In Maldonado’s protection, he took the battle on quick discover on account of Junior Dos Santos being compelled to withdraw due to a hand harm sustained in coaching.

Though Maldonado would finally go on to arguably beat a late-stage Fedor Emelianenko additional alongside in his profession, his jabs had been far too predictable on this evening as Miocic was capable of make a fast learn and are available excessive of his Brazilian counterpart.

Fortunately for Miocic, this could not be his final time silencing a Brazilian crowd.

Coming in on the No. 8 spot is one other fast demolition from Miocic’s catalog that got here in underneath a minute.

This was Miocic’s second look underneath the UFC banner, however the first official stoppage he earned within the octagon.

De Fries is probably not one of many first names you’d level to in Miocic’s resume when grading high quality, however the English heavyweight went on to have a really profitable profession outdoors of the UFC because the reigning heavyweight champion for KSW.

Sliding in at No. 7 is a battle that might arguably be ranked greater if not for an extremely late stoppage that soured what ought to’ve been an enormous win for Miocic.

Hunt might have been on a slide at that time of his profession, however even the post-prime model of the “Tremendous Samoan” had confirmed to be a harmful buyer to cope with.

Miocic well channeled his internal Cain Velasquez and shot on Hunt early and sometimes.

Sadly for Hunt, each his nook and referee John Sharp did him no favors by permitting Miocic to pummel him till the fifth and remaining spherical of a battle that ought to’ve been stopped 3 times over within the third body.

Snatching the No. 6 spot is Miocic’s swift stoppage of former UFC champion, Andrei Arlovksi.

Though Arlovski was one other post-prime MMA legend, “The Pitbull” was amid a late-career renaissance, profitable 6 fights in a row to deliver him again into title competition.

Sadly for Arlovski, Miocic’s velocity and energy had been a bit an excessive amount of for him to maintain up with out of the gate.

Miocic, who felt like he was being missed for a title shot, made a memorable and ferocious post-fight shout to UFC president Dana White, asking, “The place’s my shot?!”

Narrowly notching a top-5 spot is certainly one of Miocic’s extra underrated and entertaining affairs reverse the late, nice Shane del Rosario.

Del Rosario, who was a closely touted prospect popping out of American Kickboxing Academy at the moment, was the primary fighter to take advantage of a few of Miocic’s troubles when dealing with southpaws.

With lefties being much more uncommon at heavier weights, del Rosario was capable of get an early leap on Miocic and lightweight him as much as the physique with some brutal southpaw kicks. 

This, nonetheless, compelled Miocic to dig deeper into his instrument equipment and showcase a few of his underrated catch wrestling abilities en path to incomes one of many extra brutal ground-and-pound stoppages by way of elbows that you just’ll see within the octagon. 

Taking the No. 4 slot is the primary rematch of Miocic’s profession reverse Junior Dos Santos.

Their first assembly was an on the spot heavyweight basic that noticed Miocic come up quick on the scorecards. However their second encounter wouldn’t make it out of the primary spherical.

After sustaining some severe calf kick harm from Dos Santos early, Miocic was compelled to get on the fuel as he well minimize the cage whereas pressuring the previous champion into exchanges that favored the American.

Though a part of me wished that Miocic got here out of the gate extra with that form of initiative and strain, the Sturdy Model fighter seemingly had a penchant for being compelled into comebacks throughout a good stretch of his championship run.

Protecting with the theme of revenge and comebacks alike, I felt that Miocic’s rematch with Daniel Cormier again at UFC 241 was acceptable top-3 materials.

In what was simply the perfect battle of their three-fight collection, Miocic, as soon as once more, discovered himself behind the 8-ball early on account of Cromier’s high-output assault.

That mentioned, as soon as Cormier began to gradual and quietly accumulate extra harm on his finish, Miocic was finally capable of catch as much as the then-champion and exploit his softness to the physique.

In reality, any time somebody lands a crippling physique blow in a UFC battle the place Cormier is on the printed, seldom will you hear anybody react extra viscerally than “DC,” who you possibly can sense is reliving some form of PTSD from his fights with Miocic and Anderson Silva.

Though you may argue that the celebratory Irish jig Miocic hit after beating Daniel Cormier is sufficient to bump this for the No. 2 spot, I couldn’t assist however choose the American’s title-winning upset in enemy territory reverse then-champion, Fabricio Werdum.

For many who have selective reminiscence, Werdum, at this explicit level of his profession, was contemporary off an enormous upset win over the extremely touted reigning champ Cain Velasquez (and had a stronger argument in heavyweight GOAT talks than given credit score for contemplating his head-to-head wins over greats like Fedor Emelianenko and Velasquez).

And if Werdum would’ve overwhelmed Miocic as north of a 2-1 favourite again at UFC 198, then the Brazilian’s place within the historical past books would’ve been simple.

Sadly for Werdum, Miocic had different plans.

After feeling the necessity to get again at Miocic for some early success, Werdum recklessly rushed the American and ran proper into certainly one of Miocic’s basic right-hand counters in Spherical 1.

To at the present time, I’ve by no means heard that huge of an enviornment that useless silent after a knockout.

All you may hear was Miocic celebrating along with his nook, screaming, “I’M THE WORLD CHAMP! I’M THE WORLD CHAMP!.”

Taking the highest spot is Miocic’s unforgettable Ohio homecoming at UFC 203 reverse Alistair Overeem.

One other heavyweight legend amid a late-career renaissance, Overeem was on a powerful four-fight profitable streak and working in prime type.

I keep in mind selecting Overeem to win on account of Miocic’s earlier struggles with fighters who may strike from southpaw and his propensity to offer his neck on single-leg snatch entries.

Although Overeem, who received the gang pumped up along with his Pleasure FC-themed walkout, got here out and almost took the title by way of each instrument I beforehand talked about, Miocic – as he proved to do all through his title run – was capable of survive the preliminary storm and stage a spectacular comeback.

Reverse of the earlier entry, this was one of many loudest crowd reactions to a knockout that I can keep in mind. And although Miocic is a person of few phrases, he, as soon as once more, delivered a memorable post-fight speech to his Ohio trustworthy by shouting the basic, “O-H!.”