Stipe Miocic insists he's in career-best shape ahead of his fight against Mark Hunt today. Photo / AP
Stipe Miocic insists he's in career-best shape ahead of his fight against Mark Hunt today. Photo / AP
Mark Hunt in vital fight against UFC’s No 4 heavyweight.
Standing and trading in the centre of the octagon is Mark Hunt's domain. The Super Samoan is one of the most feared strikers in the UFC but Stipe Miocic believes he has a better stand-up game than Hunt (10-9-1).
The pair will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 65 in Adelaide today and Miocic (12-2) is in no doubt about where he holds the advantage against the veteran Kiwi.
"Definitely my speed, my foot skills, my wrestling ... you know, all that. I have better stand-up," the American told Submission Radio. "Yeah, you'll see it at the end of the fight when I have my hand raised. You'll see what happens."
Miocic is confident after coming off a solid performance against former heavyweight kingpin Junior dos Santos (17-3) when, despite losing a unanimous decision at UFC on Fox 13 in December, he showed his toughness and striking prowess.
"I feel like I'm in the best shape I've ever been. I have great coaches who have put me through hell and back and I'm ready to go."
For Hunt, today's bout shapes as an opportunity to potentially earn a title shot at the scheduled UFC 193 show in Melbourne in November.
The 41-year-old fought Fabricio Werdum (19-5-1) for the interim belt at UFC 180 in November but lost via TKO in the second round after filling in on short notice for injured champion Cain Velasquez. Werdum will meet Velasquez (13-1) in a title unification bout at UFC 188 in Mexico in June.
If Hunt beats Miocic, he could challenge the Werdum-Velasquez victor given his popularity Down Under, which would help boost ticket sales at the first UFC event in Melbourne.
A loss to Miocic would be damaging for Hunt and would likely take him out of the title picture given he has only four bouts left on his contract, rumoured to be his last with UFC.
Stipe Miocic and Mark Hunt square off in Adelaide this afternoon. Photo / Getty Images
His entertaining style means he will always appeal in Japan or Australia but losing to Miocic would show he can't hang with the division's elite fighters.
Miocic is the UFC's fourth-ranked heavyweight, one spot ahead of Hunt, and the 32-year-old said Hunt's well-known knockout power wasn't a concern to him.
"I think everyone has knockout power. I mean, it's the heavyweight division. Everyone has four-ounce gloves on, and they're big boys and they can throw hard. "
In today's co-main event, Auckland-born Australian Robert Whittaker (13-4) will meet American middleweight Brad Tavares (13-3) in a bout that could push Whittaker in to the UFC's divisional rankings. The 14th-ranked Tavares said he had a speed advantage over the unranked Whittaker, who scoffed at the notion.
"I know I'm faster. He is quick, he's well established in striking and, yeah, I look forward to putting that to the test. Let's see how fast he is," Whittaker told Submission Radio.
On the undercard, Auckland featherweight Dan Hooker (11-5) will meet Japan's Hatsu Hioki (27-8-2), and Gold Coast-based New Zealander Dylan Andrews (17-6, 1 NC) will tackle English middleweight Brad Scott (9-3).
