UFC
Stipe Miocic on UFC 188's Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum: "I know I have what it takes to be beat them"
May 22, 2015 - 2:30:08 PM Stipe Miocic on UFC 188's Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum: "I know I have what it takes to be beat them"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Stipe Miocic has continued to establish himself as one of the top contenders in the UFC's heavyweight division, putting forth only one truly poor performance in his nine Octagon appearances.

Following his fifth round TKO win over Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 65 earlier this month, Miocic believes he should be the next challenger to the division's title. On top of that, he believes he's capable of beating whomever emerges from next month's Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum fight at UFC 188.

"They're both great fighters, but I know I have what it takes to be beat them," Miocic said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com.

Miocic thinks he's stronger in five round fights now as well, as he's gone into the fifth and final round in each of his last two fights. Now he simply awaits the Velasquez-Werdum fight, and hopes the UFC will give him that matchup.

Penick's Analysis: Save for the loss to Stefan Struve, Miocic has been quite good thus far. His only other loss is that close decision to Junior dos Santos, which some would argue he won. He'd be a more deserving challenger than many other options, but I don't know that he'll be the front-runner necessarily for that fight.

[Cain Velasquez art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]