Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic: A Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Junior Dos Santos and Stipe Miocic will finally step inside the cage to battle one another this weekend at UFC on Fox 13.

No. 2-ranked heavyweight contender Dos Santos has been out of action since failing to capture the title in his trilogy fight against Cain Velasquez in October 2013. He has since joined the Nova Uniao fight team. Dos Santos will try to pick up his first win since May 2013.

Miocic, ranked No. 4 in the division, was scheduled to take on Dos Santos at The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 finale. An injury forced Dos Santos off the card, and Miocic squared off against Fabio Maldonado. Miocic destroyed the light heavyweight in just 35 seconds.

The heavyweight division will need a new contender for either Velasquez or Fabricio Werdum in 2015, and this fight could produce the next contender.

The main event for UFC on Fox 13 will have major ramifications in the heavyweight division. The bout will almost assuredly be exciting with their respective styles. Let's break down the heavyweight tilt that will headline this Saturday.

Striking

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This is where the fight will largely take place based on their past fights.

Dos Santos and Miocic throw heavyweight significant strikes in their fights. Dos Santos lands just under five per minute and Miocic just over five per minute, according to the official UFC statistics by FightMetric.

Dos Santos is considered one of the top strikers in the division. That has been what he has primarily used in the cage. He holds knockout wins over Velasquez, Werdum and Mark Hunt. It was in his bout against Hunt that he showed off more diversified striking instead of his typical boxing.

While Dos Santos' striking gets a lot of the press, Miocic is no slouch. He has three KO/TKO victories inside the Octagon. His boxing looks better and better, but he has not knocked out the elite competition that Dos Santos has.

Dos Santos' array of striking and proven ability against upper-echelon competition gives him the edge standing. Miocic shouldn't be taken lightly, but he will be at a disadvantage against the former heavyweight champion.

Edge: Dos Santos

Grappling

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Dos Santos and Miocic probably won't be putting on a wrestling clinic this weekend, but out of the two, it is Miocic who gets the nod here.

The former heavyweight champion does not have a storied background in wrestling, and he doesn't show off what he can do all that often. Miocic, on the other hand, has relied on his wrestling in the past.

Miocic used his takedowns against the three credible heavyweights he last fought—Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve.

Will he be able to take down Dos Santos? I'm not sure. The Brazilian has good takedown defense, but it is clear that Miocic has the better overall pure grappling game between the two.

Edge: Miocic

Submissions

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If the fight does go to the floor, it will be interesting to see how it plays out due to how little we see either of the heavyweights there during fights.

Miocic's wrestling may result in him being in top position more often than Dos Santos, but skill-wise between the two, does he hold the edge?

I don't think so.

Dos Santos already had a good background on the floor, and the move to Nova Uniao will only make him more dangerous on the ground. Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira was his mentor for many years. He will have picked up knowledge from one of the best to ever do it in a cage.

There should be little expectations for a submission in this fight, but Dos Santos gets the nod.

Edge: Dos Santos

X-Factors

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Dos Santos' X-Factor: New Camp, New Game Plan?

In previous fights, Dos Santos took the center of his cage and worked his boxing, but will that be the case this weekend, or will his new team set him up with a new game plan?

We won't truly know the impact of the switch to Nova Uniao until we see him fight.

Dos Santos may come up with more kicks than usual or play a more grappling-centric game plan. If so, it will add a new wrinkle to his game that could make him an even more dangerous contender for Velasquez or Werdum.

Miocic's X-Factor: Mixing It Up

The success that Velasquez had against Dos Santos was a result of his ability to keep a high pace while mixing his wrestling and striking. He was relentless.

Miocic needs to try and replicate that success as best he can.

Miocic has the athleticism to change levels quickly and explode through a shot or to come up with a combination after threatening with a takedown. Either way, he needs to make Dos Santos think about what he is going to do next. He can't break out into a predictable game plan.

Prediction

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The heavyweight fight between Dos Santos and Miocic will likely end in a finish. Who is most likely to get that in this matchup?

I favor Dos Santos.

Miocic isn't Velasquez. His takedowns aren't as fluid. Dos Santos has the capabilities to defend the attempts. That makes it a stand-up battle between the two, and Dos Santos has the decided edge on the feet.

The American is not as durable as his opponent. He has been stopped on the feet before by Struve in 2012. Struve doesn't possess nearly the technique or power of Dos Santos. That spells bad news for Miocic on Saturday.

There'll be a feeling-out process early on, but Dos Santos will turn off the lights in the second round.

Prediction: Dos Santos defeats Miocic by TKO in the second round