Stipe Miocic is the greatest heavyweight fighter of all-time according to former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Miocic became a two-time heavyweight champion when he came back to knock out Daniel Cormier in their UFC 241 rematch last month. It was all the more impressive considering how dominant “DC” looked in the first three rounds. However, Miocic made the adjustment to go for the body more in the fourth round and it paid dividends in the end.
For Ortiz, that just showed what a champion Miocic is.
“He showed what a champ he is,” Ortiz told Helen Yee in a recent interview. “That’s the true character of a champion. Someone who can come back and beat someone. I think what was he, like a 4-to-1 underdog? To show what he did, that was great.
“Daniel Cormier is a great champion. I take nothing away from him. He’s a hard-working man but Stipe is a little bit bigger, a little bit better fighter. He came in a little lighter at 230. I was like ‘wow, he’s light’ and Daniel actually does well against bigger guys but the smaller, faster guys, he has a little problem with them as he did with Jonny Bones Jones. That just shows speed will beat size 100 percent.”
Leading up to the bout, many, including Cormier, believed a second win over Miocic would cement his place as the new heavyweight GOAT.
Others have Fedor Emelianenko holding that title as well. However, Miocic’s win last month cements his place according to Ortiz.
“Heavyweights of all time? Wow. He’d have to be number one now,” Ortiz added. “Obviously Daniel Cormier was number one because he used to beat so many heavyweights at the time. Heavyweights just kept falling back and forth.
“Better than Fedor because Fedor never fought tough competition. He always fought guys that Pride always wanted him to fight. Then all of a sudden when he came here [in the United States] and he fought, he was losing. I have nothing against Fedor. He’s an amazing athlete, he was one of the greatest heavyweight champions. But father time catches up to some people. Not me, thank god.
“But Stipe is the best in the world right now. He beat Fabricio Werdum. He has beat a lot of great, great guys. I can give him all the credit for beating Daniel Cormier, knocking him out! I couldn’t believe Daniel didn’t try to take him down more but Stipe’s a great wrestler. I take my hats off to Stipe, he’s done an amazing job.”
