On 14 May 2017, UFC champions Stipe Miocic and Junior dos Santos re-matched in Texas, and dos Santos lost to his opponent in the match. Dos Santos planned the game well, and he was executing it perfectly. Yet, Miocic took him by surprise and was able to come out of the game a winner. According to dos Santos his game was flawless, he was doing very well, and he was crushed that his plan did not work in this game. He was knocked out midway through the first round and lost to opponent Miocic.
Losing to Miocic was very hard on Santos
Dos Santos was throwing some pretty hard kicks, and they were working in his favour as well.
He did his fair share of circling, and it bought him time, which would have helped him win the match. His kicks also helped him keep his range and absorb some of the attacks by his opponent. However, Miocic pushed through and persistently did put his opponent in a corner. That is when Miocic's punches started getting consistent and effective. They worked for him -- one last blow put Junior dos Santos on the mat leaving him helpless, and eventually the referee called the game.
Miocic was able to read and take advantage of dos Santos’s flaws nicely. He knew that placing his opponent in that corner position would give him the upper hand in the game. While his opponent is a worthy adversary and a very experienced player, Miocic is proving to be one of the toughest hitters around.
For Miocic, this match makes the fourth in his winning streak. As for Santos, if he can win a couple of more matches in the series, his chances of another title shot will be elevated.
Santos talked to the media
Dos Santos showed extreme disappointment at the results of the fight, as his strategies for the game failed completely.
He insisted that he was well-prepared for the match, and he was implementing his strategies well during the beginning of the game. He expected Miocic to walk forward all the time, but he walked backward. This would give him a chance to act accordingly and know how to dodge attacks. His kicks gave him confidence that he had this game in the bag.
Dos Santos does not know who the next fight will be against, but he intends to do his best to wipe out his defeat in this match. He said he needs to sit down and try to understand what lessons he could learn from the past fight and hope for the best in the future. He lost a game, but he loves the sport and is still looking forward to the next fight, because that is what he loves to do.
