Being big is relevant again in fighting. Throughout the past year or so, both boxing and MMA have seen a bit of a rebirth from the heavyweight divisions with Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Stipe Miocic rising through the ranks as the very best on the planet. With top champions brings out a few of the greatest competitors, and on Saturday night in Boston, Miocic will be the first to reply a truly tough test.
The current UFC heavyweight champion is set to take on possibly the scariest puncher in MMA when he squares off against Francis Ngannou at the primary event at TD Garden. Ngannou (11-1, 7 KOs) has won five of his fights since joining the company and all coming via KO/TKO with none getting beyond the next round. His brutal knockout of high contender Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 could have been the most barbarous knockout of this year.
But Miocic remains his collected and calm ahead of his challenge. Miocic (17-2, 13 KOs) is also on a five-fight knockout streak and sits just one win short of being the longest reigning heavyweight champion in company history.
“I am so used to it now,” Miocic stated during his open work on Wednesday. “I love being the underdog because I shut everyone up. That is exactly what this sport’s all about — it is like’The Jerry Springer Show’… I am walking out’and still.’ No one (else) is going to be winner until I depart.

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