After his highlight reel knockout of Fabricio Werdum , the newly crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion, Stipe Miocic , must now protect the belt that he fought so hard to earn.

For his first title defense, all eyes are locked on Alistair Overeem, who solidified his spot as the number one contender with a second round TKO of Andrei Arlovski.

Riding a four fight win streak, Alistair “The Reem” Overeem (41-14-1) seems to have put all the pieces back together and looks like the heavyweight monster that the fans expected when he first joined the UFC. The former K-1 champion has displayed his superior striking skills in his recent fights, but as we all saw during the Stefan Struve fight, Overeem also has a strong wrestling and ground game. With the power he possesses, he did not need any transitions, and instead landed heavy shots from the difficult guard of Struve to eventually knock him out.

The one thing that has held Overeem back from taking over the heavyweight division is his chin, which seems to have deteriorated over his career. His three losses in the UFC were a result of devastating knockouts from opponents that, on paper, should have been dealt with by Overeem. A weak chin is the last thing a heavyweight fighter wants to have when going into a battle with the heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic (15-2).

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Miocic is a fighter whose boxing skills display both technique and precision, but as UFC 198 showed us, those hands hold knockout power as well. Stipe uses his leg kicks to open his opponents up for his boxing combinations, and at the same time, he manages to maintain a wide stance. Going into UFC 198, many people questioned Miocic’s ground game against the highly skilled black belt, Fabricio Werdum, but he shrugged off Werdum’s only takedown attempt of the fight. More from Cage Pages UFC 219: Two Former Champions added to the Card

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We have not been able to see Stipe Miocic’s ground game against the top heavyweight competition (with the exception of Mark Hunt), but that seems to be a result of his wrestling experience. He utilizes his wrestling to keep his fights standing, where he is most comfortable, and where he can continue to pick apart his opponent.

Stipe’s only loss in his last seven fights came from an all-out war against world class striker, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos. A five round battle that pushed Stipe to a level that he had never been before, and a fight that taught him a lot in the process. After Overeem lost to Ben Rothwell, he seems to have taken a new approach to his fights, putting game plans first rather than gunning for the highlight reel knockout.

Despite his newly found maturity, Overeem’s ego may hold him back from trying to take Miocic to the ground, which will lead to a stand up war that will keep the fans on their feet. This is the next championship fight to make in the heavyweight division, and a true test for the new heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic.

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