Stipe Miocic’s demeanor after taking out Andrei Arlovski at UFC 195 was perhaps as noteworthy as the performance itself. Fired up, Miocic screamed in the direction of UFC President Dana White that he wanted his title shot, and even after the event still seemed quite on edge.
Blaming the attitude on a “rough couple of weeks,” Miocic was happy with his performance, and believes there’s no question he should get the next shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
“I said, ‘I want my shot.’ I was jacked. I’m here to win. I think I did enough for the shot,” Miocic said on the Fox Sports 1 post-fight show. “It doesn’t matter [if it’s against Fabricio Werdum or Cain Velasquez]. I want the shot and I know I can do it. I’m taking that belt back to Cleveland.”
He may get his wish, with White saying at the post-fight press conference that they’re “on the same page” and that it might be impossible to deny Miocic his opportunity after that.
“Who the hell was going to say no to him?” White said. “He was like a psycho. I wasn’t going to say no.”
Penick’s Analysis: The biggest potential issue for Miocic at this point is Alistair Overeem. If Overeem is re-signed with a significant contract after beating a more recent former champ in Junior dos Santos, the UFC may see him as the more marketable challenger. Still, Miocic should have gotten the decision over dos Santos, and looked great in that win on Saturday night. He’s every bit as deserving as Overeem, and we’ll find out sometime this spring whether or not the UFC will indeed give him that opportunity.
[Photo (c) Mark J. Rebilas via USA Today Sports]
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