On Saturday, he made sure the curse stayed buried.
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The Quicken Loans Arena erupted as Stipe Miocic was pulled from the downed Alistair Overeem with thirty seconds left in the first round of their main event meeting at UFC 203 in the champion’s home, Philadephia. The HD version can be ordered for $59.99 via UFC Fight Pass.
Having just been battered into the realms of unconsciousness by Miocic, barely able to get back on his stool post-fight, the confused Dutchman was convinced he’d felt a tap from the champ early in the fight.
But the fight wasn’t without controversy, Overeem suggesting that Miocic tapped out while he was in the guillotine. I followed him, I got him in a guillotine choke and I clearly felt a tap.
“While Miocic is the better wrestler, I’m not sure if his pressure/cagework will be as successful against someone like Overeem who is so risky in the clinch”, Tabuena shares. It is the 12th knockout win of Miocic’s career.
Miocic found himself in trouble early in the fight, taking a punch to the chin that knocked him off his feet. I’ll walk into the octagon and all I’ll think about is me and Alistair, and that’s all I care about. Miocic hurts Overeem with some punches including a hard uppercut. The finishing sequence began when Miocic caught a side kick aimed at his legs, a staple of Overeem’s game since joining Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Miocic came back with a couple of right hands, which rocked Overeem. With Overeem as the obvious better striker (75% successful strikes vs Stipe’s 50%), Demolition Man may definitely have the upper hand. He’s a great athlete, he’s tough, he always comes to fight. The 27-year-old Rivera is Faber’s junior by a decade.
It was Overeem’s first loss since September 2014, following wins over Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski. Opportunistic, hard-working, a never-say-die attitude and passionate, these words describe both the UFC heavyweight champion and the city he carries on his back.
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Overeem claimed that since winning the title, Miocic has been living the high life and not preparing properly for their upcoming match-up.
