Who is the greatest heavyweight in Ultimate Fighting Championship history? There is a strong case that the title should belong to Ohio native Stipe Miocic.

Miocic has held the UFC heavyweight title on two separate occasions and defended it in fights four times. The six total heavyweight title wins and three successful title defenses in a row are both UFC records. In addition he has won Fight of the Night three times, Performance of the Night five times and Knockout of the Night once, for a total of nine fight-night bonus awards. That too is a UFC heavyweight record.

All told he has compiled a record of 20-4 and is still the second ranked challenger at the age of 40. His last bout was in March 2021 when he lost his title to Francis Ngannou via a second round knockout. It is unclear whether he will fight again in UFC or move over to a rival fighting circuit. There are rumors of a bout coming up versus Jon “Bones” Jones, spread partly by Jones himself, but so far no fight has materialized.

Despite all his achievements, Miocic does not quite get the acclaim as all sorts of less accomplished UFC fighters. That is quite possibly because he is not as “colorful” as many other UFC fighters. No smashed sports cars and bar brawls litter his past. Rather he spends his time outside the ring working as a part-time firefighter and paramedic near his home in Ohio. He does not get into viral tweet wars and the like. Unfortunately that all translates to good but not great ratings on his pay-per-view fights.

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For sports lovers, betting online is just a fantastic addition to their passion. Sports betting offers the chance to support your favorite players while having the opportunity to earn some money.

Why is sports betting so popular?

Several reasons contribute to sports betting popularity. You can bet on your favorite players and for your favorite sport’ tournaments or championships, depending on the platforms you like using, how much money you want to bet, or which athletes you prefer.

Online betting is a great invention since technology has evolved, giving you the chance to bet easily, from the comfort of your home, while watching the sports you enjoy, and even while you are on the go, vacationing, or out with your friends.

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Mixed Martial Arts, or as it is more commonly known, MMA, is perhaps one of the newer fighting sport styles that has found its way into the spotlight in recent years, thanks to the fresh approach that it brings to the table. With traditional boxing, for instance, you know you can expect to see the competitors throwing punches, with anything even remotely takedown style or kicks being completely off limits. However, the fighting styles in MMA are what makes it so unique as a sport!

With a blend of not only combat but also self-defense, mixed martial arts allows a lot more flexibility in the styles of combat that can be used. With techniques from karate, judo, and taekwondo, just to name a few, the blend of these is what makes the game so distinctive, keeping both spectators and opponents on their toes – quite literally! Keep reading below to see where this form of combat style emerged from and the history behind it.

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Bellator MMA and RIZIN are set to stage a historical event on New Year’s Eve (January 31, 2022) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will feature five fighters from each promotion facing off in a one-night spectacle. The co-main event will pit Bellator’s featherweight king, Patricio Pitbull, against champion Kleber Koike.

According to Bellator president Scott Coker, the two sides have agreed to hold two such events, with the other one taking place in 2023 in the United States under Bellator’s MMA rule set. Coker stated that the next event “has to be in the cage, and it has to be Bellator rules. It would be different. Whether in the US or somewhere else. I think Hawaii would be fun.”

The main event of the Bellator and RIZIN cross-promotion event on New Year’s Eve will be a lightweight bout between A.J. McKee and Roberto de Souza. McKee, who is ranked No. 3 in the Bellator pound-for-pound rankings, is known for his dynamic striking ability and submission skills, with 13 combined stoppage victories in his career. De Souza is the RIZIN featherweight champion and has a professional record of 14-2, with several notable victories in his career. The fight will be a non-title bout and will take place inside the four-sided ring at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Additional information about the rules set and other details of the fight have not yet been announced.

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Rankings give us the perfect assessment of a fighter’s form at any specific point in time. If we look at them over a period of a few months, we can also identify those who are in the ascendancy, along with the ones who might want to consider calling time on their careers.

The start of any New Year also gives us a perfect opportunity to make predictions. Who will be rising through the ranks in 2023 as they enjoy a stellar 12 months of MMA competition?

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Why Paulo Costa Turned Down A Six-Fight Extension With UFC?

When Paulo Costa began training in Muay Thai at age 9, he started his career in combat sports. Eventually, he introduced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his repertoire and began martial arts training at the age of 17.

Early in the 2010s, Costa switched to MMA, and he faced Téo Esteves in his professional debut in 2012 at the MMA Total Combat: Santa Luzia. His combats have been a popular attraction for sports bettors online.

Paulo Costa doesn’t appear to be re-signing with the UFC except if he receives a better offer. The Brazilian fighter, who has an MMA record of 14-2-0, is unquestionably one of the best in the sport. In fact, reputed sports betting sites such as captaingambling.com have always kept their players informed with detailed updates on such News which could impact the outcomes of their betting ventures. Especially, when it involves star players such as Paulo Costa.

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How Derrick Lewis Illness Promoted UFC Fight Night 215 Game Cancellation

UFC Fight Night 215 recently lost its headliner on the 19th of November 2022, hours before Sergey Spivak and Derrick Lewis were about to square off in the Octagon. In the midst of Saturday, UFC officials had announced that Lewis who was 26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC had come down with an illness which resulted in a back-out from the game. The news was released since Lewis cited a non-weight, non-COVID-related illness for cancellation. Thus, a light heavyweight clash for three rounds took place where Ion Cutelaba stood against Kennedy Nzechukwu. It was unpredictable whether Spivak vs Lewis would be rebooked at a later date. Lewis is a two-time heavyweight title challenger. However, he has lost 3 out of 4 recent Octagon appearances. Recently, he also suffered a TKO defeat of 55 seconds at the hands of Sergei Pavlovich on the 30th of July at UFC 277. Spivak has won 5 out of 6 UFC competitions since 2020 and is 2-0 this year with a TKO against Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai. For sports betting enthusiasts, such sudden game cancellations could be very concerning and disappointing. Bettors usually follow credible websites such as thegruelingtruth.com to have updated News and incidents that could impact their betting decisions.

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MMA Mania Are Inspiring Millennial Crowd

The combat sport popular as mixed martial arts (MMA) combines elements of boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu, karate, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), and other disciplines. Although MMA was initially criticized as a cruel blood sport without regulations, it eventually lost its reputation for no-holds-barred combat. It became one of the fastest-growing spectator sports in the 21st century. All 50 states in the United States, and many other nations, sanction MMA events. Most on-shore and offshore sports betting websites also welcome bettors to lay wagers on their favorite fighters.

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