I like Miocic in this one. Their first fight was a close one. I feel Miocic has improved since then and gained confidence while Dos Santos has seen better days and is in decline.
Agreed. Miocic by clear decision or late stoppage. I don't think Dos Santos' scar tissue will do him any favors either.
As a fan of both guys... If Dos Santos is to lose I hope it's early, he's been in too many wars and it would suck to see him on the receiving end of another beatdown. One of the more humble guys in the sport.
Honestly I think I favour Dos Santos here. Reem and Velasquez proves to be his superior but even one of those he managed to spark clean out. He has a punchers chance against anyone in the short history of this sport. If ever there was to be an ideal man who became champ for him to face in his decline this would be it. Miocic, Hunt or Mir are his best chances of reclaiming his throne. Just so happens the champ is one of those 3 men. Even Velasquez isn't a guarantee now with his decline (steeper than DS anyways). Obviously Miocic is a sizeable favourite. I'd have to put him 2-1 but it wouldn't be a huge upset if Dos Santos lands a bomb here.
Yeah definitely a possible, but Dos Santos has probably declined further since their 1st meeting(which he barely won) and Miocic is peaking. Outside of the punchers chance that he has in pretty much every fight I don't see him improving over his past performance, where as Miocic knows he can hang with him and just managed to let the 1st fight slip away. Providing Dos Santos doesn't catch him early which is always a possibility... Miocic should take this by clear decision or late stoppage. Side note - With a win here Miocics definitely put together one of the best short runs in the history of the division. Arlovski, Werdum, Overeem and Dos Santos in like 14-15 months? That's insane.
The early shot is what I imagine he's banking on. I mean Dos is considered past it now and as you say, Miocic is prime and on the run of his life. I wouldn't be surprised if he underestimates JDS. On the flip side, if Miocic takes down Velasquez and Struve after this he's in the running for best HW resume ATG.
Less confident Miocic nearly beat Dos Santos. He's improved and juniors probably declined since then. Sometimes shopworn, tough fighters will suddenly and unexpectedly collapse early, I think that could happen for junior against miocic.
Idk, I remember back when he was champ he made the rediculous claim he could beat the Ks and be a dominant boxer. When Fury said that in reverse he got rediculed, but Junior seemed to get a pass. Personally, I think Tyson would have had a better ( but still negligible) chance of beating Cain at MMA than Junior of beating either K at boxing.
