Stipe Miocic recently named the knockout wins he took the most pride in during his UFC career.
Miocic is widely considered the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, holding the division's records for consecutive (three) and total (four) title defenses — each earned against top-tier competition.
The 42-year-old Ohio native fell short in his quest for a third heavyweight title reign, suffering a decisive knockout loss to champion Jon Jones at UFC 309 last November. Following the defeat, he officially announced his retirement from the sport.
Although the UFC veteran didn’t deliver his best performance in his final fight, his legacy in the heavyweight division remains undeniable. With victories over elite names like Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou, Miocic built a résumé that speaks for itself.
He retired with an impressive 20-5 record, including 14 knockouts — yet two stand out as his personal favorites.
During a recent interview with BIGPLAY Sports Network, Stipe Miocic was asked about the "most satisfying" knockouts of his career. While he holds all of his finishes in high regard, the former UFC heavyweight champion said that his first-round KO to dethrone Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in May 2016, in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd, was one of the greatest moments of his career.
When I won the title in Brazil," Stipe Miocic said. "Because there were, you know, like 45,000 people in there, and 44,990 were Brazilians speaking Portuguese, telling me I'm going to die. I had 15 family and friends there, and then I hit him, and he went out. I was hearing, 'Yay, a new champion,' and it was so annoying because, like, it was quiet, it was awkward, but it was great.
Stipe Miocic also called his first-round knockout of Overeem at UFC 203 in September 2016 one of his most iconic moments, as he defended his title in front of a roaring hometown crowd in Cleveland.
Of course, the one here in Cleveland was awesome too… It's funny, I talk about anxiety — I don't get anxiety much — and during that fight, walking out with everyone screaming your name, it was surreal. People dream about that stuff, and I get goosebumps thinking about it now. I couldn't catch my breath. I was fighting, and I thought, 'This is not good. What do I do?' Then [Overeem] popped me and dropped me, and I was like, 'I'm good now. Reset, let's do this.' Then I got on top and finished him off, and I was like, 'Thank God, it could have been way worse.'