No. 3-ranked UFC heavyweight contender, Stipe Miocic, is as multi-faceted as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter can be.
The 33-year-old is a former Division-I wrestler from Cleveland State University and is a very agile boxer inside the Octagon.
A winner of four of his last five bouts, with victories over hardened foes like Mark Hunt and Fabio Maldonado over the last two years, Miocic's confidence has peaked ahead of his co-main event exchange with ex-heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, at the UFC 195 pay-per-view (PPV) event tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 2, 2016) in Las Vegas.
Miocic discusses both of their strengths with MMA Fighting:
"I'm going to win because I have the greatest coaches in the world and training partners. I think it's going to be a great matchup between the both of us. I think I'm a better striker and I think I have better cardio so we'll see. He's going to bring his A-game, too."
The Belarusian bomber has performed quite well over the last two years, defeating ranked opponents such as Frank Mir, Travis Browne, and Antonio Silva in succession. In addition, Arlovski stopped Browne and Silva with strikes.
Overall, Arlovski is riding a six-fight win streak, which extends outside of UFC and has continuously defied father time in his second stint with the leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.
The soon-to-be 37-year-old striker may or may not carry a chip on his shoulder following a less-than-stellar outing against the jiu-jitsu ace, Mir, back in September.
Either way, fight fans can expect a high-octane collision when these two brutes go to battle inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For more news and notes on the UFC 195 card click here.