How will Dana White and company view Stipe Miocic's performance? Please tell us below. | Photo: Jeff Sherwood
After 25 grueling minutes and the exchange of more than 200 significant strikes, Junior dos Santos left the cage battered and bloodied but with his hand raised in triumph.
According to preliminary FightMetric figures, dos Santos connected on 140 total strikes -- 123 of them were significant -- and shut down all but one of the Strong Style Fight Team representative’s 18 takedown attempts in the five-round struggle. The 30-year-old former champion was the statistically superior fighter in the third, fourth and fifth rounds, where he out-landed Miocic by an 87-57 margin and scored the lone knockdown of the bout.
In wake of UFC on Fox 13 “Dos Santos vs. Miocic,” here are six matchups that ought to be considered:
Related: UFC on Fox 13 Play-by-Play
Junior dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem: Dos Santos survived and prevailed despite grotesque damage to his face, but real questions have surfaced regarding where he stands in the heavyweight division. He has won 12 of his past 14 fights, but in his two losses to reigning champion Cain Velasquez -- the first at UFC 155 in December 2012, the second at UFC 166 in October 2013 -- the Brazilian absorbed 484 total strikes across nearly 50 minutes of grueling combat. Against Miocic, he seemed a step slower and far less elusive, raising legitimate concerns about his health and viability moving forward. Overeem, meanwhile, pointed himself back in the right direction with his first-round stoppage on Stefan Struve, as he rebounded from a Sept. 5 defeat to Ben Rothwell.
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Edson Barboza: Wins in eight of his past nine bouts have put dos Anjos in a most advantageous position. The 30-year-old Brazilian carved up Nate Diaz with leg kicks and multi-punch combinations and consolidated occasional takedowns with ground-and-pound, as he cruised to a woefully one-sided unanimous decision in the co-main event. With No. 1 contender Khabib Nurmagomedov’s return date from reconstructive knee surgery still undetermined, dos Anjos could conceivably leapfrog the 22-0 juggernaut -- a man to whom he has already lost -- for a shot at lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. If Nurmagomedov recovers in time to challenge “Showtime,” perhaps UFC matchmakers could draw dos Anjos’ attention to Barboza, a former Ring of Combat titleholder on a two-fight winning streak.
Stipe Miocic vs. Travis Browne: Miocic raised his profile and improved his stock in going five hard rounds with dos Santos. While the loss brought an end to his run of three straight wins, it did nothing to diminish his presence in a thin heavyweight division. Miocic showed off a sturdy chin and connected on 102 strikes, 89 of them significant, in dropping a unanimous decision to the heavy-handed and heavily favored dos Santos. Browne, another heavyweight on the rise, has recorded four victories in five appearances, including a first-round technical knockout on Brendan Schaub at UFC 181.
Nate Diaz vs. Bobby Green: Diaz endured a week of largely self-inflicted misery, as he missed weight, incurred the wrath of his boss, blew off media interviews and then suffered through three tortuous rounds with the aforementioned dos Anjos. One leg kick after another slammed into his lead leg, rendering him incapable of mounting any meaningful offense. Diaz has now lost three of his last four fights and has not posted back-to-back wins in more than two years. In short, he has given rise to many questions about his process and commitment. Green, a former two-division King of the Cage champion, wound up on the wrong side of a three-round decision to Barboza at a UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 22.
Matt Mitrione vs. Andrei Arlovski: When Mitrione entered the UFC as an admitted novice in 2009, few gave him a chance of sticking around in any long-term capacity. Twelve fights later, his detractors are running out of ammunition. Mitrione wiped out former title contender Gabriel Gonzaga with a short left hook in the first round of their heavyweight showcase, as he improved to 9-3 inside the Octagon and put himself in position to hunt bigger, more lucrative game. The resurgent Arlovski has returned to prominence on the strength of a four-fight winning streak, a stunning knockout of the monstrous Antonio Silva on Sept. 13 his latest conquest.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Carla Esparza: Excellent defensive grappling and punishing muay Thai skills were enough to push the undefeated Jedrzejczyk past Nova Uniao’s Claudia Gadelha on the scorecards, as she eked out a controversial split decision over the three-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion. Jedrzejczyk nearly finished the Brazilian inside the first round, as she connected on a crackling uppercut and trailed her to the ground with hammerfists in the closing seconds. She then withstood Gadelha’s advances over the final 10 minutes, out-landing her 25-17 in the significant-strike department in rounds two and three. Team Oyama’s Esparza captured the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight championship with her third-round rear-naked choke submission on Rose Namajunas at “The Ultimate Fighter 20” Finale.