Five talking points from UFC 198 as Stipe Miocic became heavyweight champion
By James Dielhenn
Last Updated: 16/05/16 3:37pm
Stipe Miocic became UFC heavyweight champion after knocking out Fabricio Werdum in Brazil, but what did we learn?
Championship merry-go-round continues
Heavyweight title fights have become - largely due to former champion Cain Velasquez's injuries - a rare occurrence, yet even rarer is a title-holder with an iron grip on his belt.
Werdum seemed on the verge of being anointed one of the greatest heavyweight fighters, but such recognition might have to be shelved after his first title defence ended in disaster inside three minutes.
Prior to Werdum's forgettable reign, Velasquez had an injury-ridden spell as champion that saw him defend only twice, both times against opponents who he had already defeated.
There will be pressure on Miocic to return to the cage quickly, having escaped his title win apparently unscathed. Alistair Overeem awaits as the obvious challenger who seems more than capable of continuing the merry-go-round.
Don't take it on the chin
When 260lbs men strap on 4oz gloves, it is advisable to keep your hands up because, worryingly, there does not seem to be a heavyweight contender capable of withstanding his rivals' punches.
Miocic is relatively fresh at 33 yet four years ago he was knocked out by Stefan Struve.
Werdum had been stopped once before Miocic flattened him, while the next challenger Overeem has suffered three knockouts in the last three years alone.
Everyone's chin, it appears, can be exposed in this division, which suggests the secret to a successful reign might be a reluctance to rely upon trading strikes.
Miocic demonstrated this ability by holding Mark Hunt to the ground for much of their 23-minute fight a year ago - so is that how he should continue?
What to do with Cyborg?
Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino made a frightening impact on her long-awaited UFC debut, finally stepping into the big leagues after years of threatening to launch an assault on the evolving women's scene.
A swift stoppage of Leslie Smith extended her run to 11 consecutive knockouts, suggesting she is a match for anyone wearing world championship gold, but questions remain about how to fit her into the puzzle.
Having never made the weight limit of 135lbs for the biggest women's division, 'Cyborg' was afforded a catchweight fight of 140lbs against Smith. She duly won against an oversized opponent who isn't even ranked in the top 15 of the 135lbs division.
Having then failed to mention established contenders Ronda Rousey or Holly Holm in her post-fight speech, we are no clearer to discovering whether 'Cyborg' merits her fearsome nickname.
Has Souza pipped Bisping?
England's Michael Bisping must have been expecting the next crack at the middleweight championship having defeated the former champion, Anderson Silva, in February. But the performance of Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza has cast that into doubt.
Souza dominated and eventually finished another former title-holder, Vitor Belfort, inside the first round while Bisping was taken the distance by Silva. In the UFC's official rankings at 185lbs, Bisping is No 4 behind both Souza and Belfort.
To complicate matters, current champion Luke Rockhold already holds win over his two most obvious challengers. All eyes will turn to Rockhold's next title defence against Chris Weidman next month, before Bisping learns his fate.
Legends battle on
Werdum and Belfort may have been comprehensively beaten by younger, fresher contenders, but, aged 38 and 39 respectively, they remain viable fighters. And they are not alone, with a host of Brazilian veterans refusing to quietly step out of the spotlight.
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, a 34-fight veteran and ex-champion, beat 26-year-old up-and-comer Corey Anderson. Demian Maia, at 38, has scarcely looked better than his submission win over Matt Brown. And, a month shy of his 40th birthday, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira knocked out Pat Cummins and continues to be listed in the top 10 of his division.
Don't count out the old-timers just yet.
