In the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on Fox 10, heavyweight Stipe Miocic (11-1) outworked former contender Gabriel Gonzaga (16-8) to earn a unanimous decision victory. Miocic is now on a two-fight win streak and holds a UFC record of 5-1. This was Gonzaga’s second loss in six fights since returning to the UFC in 2012.
Gonzaga came out strong in the first round using leg kicks and effective straight punches to frustrate Miocic. However, he was unable to keep up the pace. From the second round on Gonzaga looked exhausted. Miocic shrugged off Gonzaga’s takedown attempts and worked him with punches from range. He took the fight on all three judges’ cards and all three rounds on two judges’ scorecards.
What was the high point of the fight?
While not the worst three-round heavyweight fight, there weren’t many standout moments. Neither man came close to finishing the fight during the 15-minute contest.
Where do they go from here?
Miocic has now put together a very respectable record in the heavyweight division. His last two wins show he’s better than the mid-tier and it’s time for him take on stiffer competition. I’d like to see him against Mark Hunt next.
This loss really just showed us what we already knew about Gonzaga. He’s a dangerous opponent with a clear ceiling. He shouldn’t have problems continuing to pick up wins inside the Octagon, but he’s going to fall short regularly too. If Stefan Struve does return to action this fall, I think that’s the fight to make.
Watch it now, later, or never?
It was an alright fight, but nothing stood out to make this a “must see.” You can watch it later if you’re interested or just skip it all together.