UFC on Fox 13 Results: 3 Fights for Stipe Miocic to Take Next

It’s rare to see a fighter’s stock rise after a loss, but that is precisely what appears to have happened to Stipe Miocic after his career-shortening slugfest with Junior Dos Santos at UFC on Fox 13.

Few gave the part-time firefighter much of a chance leading up to the bout, reasoning that the former UFC heavyweight champion’s considerable strengths would likely prove to be a stylistic nightmare.

However, the opening two rounds for the 32-year-old Miocic were less a nightmare than some would imagine, as he dictated the pace of the bout and landed a number of crunching shots that soon had his Brazilian foe resembling Sloth from The Goonies. I half-expected Dos Santos to scream, “Hey you guys!” to his corner in between rounds.

Miocic appeared to be leaning heavily on the strategy successfully employed by heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in his second and third bouts with Dos Santos. Unfortunately, such a lung-bursting approach would likely challenge the cardio of distance runners, never mind a UFC heavyweight.

By the third frame, Miocic had slowed down considerably, and the former champion wasted no time in taking advantage, punishing his foe with heavy shots to the body and head.

The pair went back and forth through the championship rounds, producing one of those rare occasions when the audience would feel satisfied by almost any outcome.

Dos Santos was given the nod by the judges, but few would have complained had the decision gone the other way. There were a couple of inexplicable 49-46 scorecards, but that’s almost par for the course at this point.

Having come away from a narrow defeat smelling like roses, what’s next for Miocic once his bruises have healed? Feel free to read on and indulge my speculation.

Mark Hunt

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Mark Hunt is perhaps the most obvious choice to be Miocic’s next opponent. Both men are coming off defeats in which they looked impressive—Hunt was having his way with Fabricio Werdum prior to taking a fight-ending knee to the chops—and they reside right next to each other in the rankings.

If and when this bout takes place depends on how quickly Miocic heals up and where Hunt’s head is at.

It’s no secret that the Super Samoan was struggling with some personal issues prior to his recent interim title fight with Werdum. The man is an enigma, so it’s anyone’s guess when he’ll decide to step in the cage and what kind of mental state he’ll be in.

Travis Browne

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A potential bout with Travis Browne makes less sense for Miocic than being matched with Mark Hunt, but options are limited at the top of the heavyweight division.

Browne is coming off an impressive first-round TKO of Brendan Schaub at UFC 181, which arguably puts him next in line for a title shot, particularly with few people eager to see Dos Santos in another title fight so soon.

Unfortunately for the Hawaiian, Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum have been paired off, leaving him with very few options for the time being.

A fight with Dos Santos makes the most sense for Browne, with both men coming off wins and sitting right next to each other in the rankings. However, the Brazilian looked considerably worse than Miocic after their recent scrap.

It’s unclear when Dos Santos will be healthy enough to fight again, but UFC President Dana White seems to think it won’t be any time soon.

Miocic is likely to be ready to get back in the cage sooner, but Browne may be reluctant to take a fight with an opponent who is coming off a loss. Indeed, the Hawaiian could conceivably choose to wait for the fight between Velasquez and Werdum to play out.

Alistair Overeem

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As a mixed martial artist, Alistair Overeem perhaps isn’t quite as potent as he once was, but he remains one of the few bankable names in the UFC heavyweight division.

There’s plenty of daylight between Miocic and Overeem in the rankings (No. 3 and No. 11, respectively), but this fight has a couple of things going for it.

With both men having just fought on the same card, the timing would appear to make sense. The Dutchman intends to take a little time off, which gives Miocic an opportunity to heal up.

The gap in their rankings is less of an issue given that Miocic is coming off a loss and Overeem is coming off a win.

But more than anything else—with options so limited—it simply looks like an intriguing fight on paper, and that’s never a bad thing. Need I supply any more justification?