Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou: UFC 260 Predictions, Odds and Fight Time

The championship fight Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou will be the main event held on March 27, 2021 at UFC 260 . In this article, we will discuss fight details and odds for this matchup. Just like last time, the Cameroonian fighter has become the sportsbook’s favorite.

The fight will take place at the closed arena of UFC Apex in Las Vegas. UFC 260 prelim fights will begin around 6:15 PM, while the main event fights will begin roughly close to 10:00 PM.

Recall that the rivals have already met in the Octagon in 2018 at the UFC 220 tournament. More than three years ago, Miocic dominated the matchup and won by unanimous decision. 

Miocic vs Ngannou 2: Odds on the Main Event

According to sportsbooks, this time the champion has a much smaller chance of success. They probably believe that Ngannou has become much more experienced over the years and will not allow himself to be exhausted with a stingy opponent.

Leading up to the fight, the odds difference has been squeezed. This signals that the fight is predicted to be closer than originally stated. You can find markets on Miocic to win with odds of +112. The odds for Ngannou's victory is -129. 

Stipe Miocic

+112

Francis Ngannou

-129

Sportsbooks do not give players the opportunity to bet on a draw with huge odds. The last fight was as far from a draw as possible, and the track record of both athletes shows that this time, the outcome is also unlikely to be decided by the counting of cards. 

UFC 260 Tale of the Tape

Stipe Miocic

• The first and only ever UFC fighter to defend his heavyweight title three times in a row. The current UFC heavyweight champion. NCAA Division 1 Boxer. 

• 23 fights, 20 wins, 3 losses. 

According to UFC President Dana White, Miocic is the best fighter in UFC heavyweight history. It's a statement that few fans would argue with. Stipe is one of the rare fighters who was not fortunate enough to fight his way to the title through a line of “cupcake” opponents. 

Since his debut in the UFC and to this day, there is no doubt that Stipe has fought with the top fighters of the division at all different stages of its existence.

Miocic has earned victories over such fighters as Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson, Mark Hunt, Andrei Orlovsky, Fabrice Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, Daniel Cormier, and of course including his previous victory against Francis Ngannou.

With Daniel Cormier, Miocic fought him three times in a row, and won two of them. Some might say that it will be difficult for Miocic to readjust to a new opponent. However, there should be no blind trust in the sportsbook's odds per favorite in this fight.

What to expect from Miocic in the fight with Ngannou?

Stipe pulled out a win in these fighter's first matchup thanks to his stamina, speed and technique. He confidently transferred Ngannou to the stalls and exhausted him with restraints and strangulation with his elbow.

As a result, the Cameroonian was exhausted by the end of the first round and could not repel the onslaught that followed from the Croatian.  The fight remained closely fought, however, going the full five rounds before a unanimous decision was made in favor of Miocic. 

This time, Stipe will definitely not go to the ground in the first minutes. His main task will remain the same; to avoid contact with Francis in the first round and to constantly break the distance. He will work in the same way, but will only go to the ground in the middle of the second round to get the maximum advantage. 

Miocic's chances to win 

Contrary to the opinions of the sportsbook, Stipe has every chance to outmaneuver an aggressive opponent once again through tactics. Yes, Ngannou could have worked on his mistakes, but how can he oppose the speed and accuracy of Miocic?

So far, a serious decline in these attributes has not been observed on a consistent basis from the aging athlete. However, the last fight may be a reason for sportsbook's concerns. Stipe's problem is that in his last fight against Cormier, he missed punches too often, losing several rounds on points.

If he is not fast enough, then Francis will have opportunities to rip off accurate hooks to end the fight. Nevertheless, Miocic's fighting experience, intellect and composure make him a difficult opponent, albeit with an underdog status attached by sportsbooks. 

The Last Five Miocic Fights

In his last five fights, the Croatian has confidently won four of them. He knocked out Dos Santos without any problems in the first round, then beat the exhausted Ngannou five rounds in a row. Two victories in a row over former division champion Daniel Cormier were pleasant results, the first of which was won by knockout in the fourth round, and the second by unanimous decision. 

The only defeat throughout this entire period for Stipe was in his first battle against Cormier. The outcome of the meeting was ultimately decided by a lucky punch, but Miocic proved that it was not a sign of each fighter's true quality. 

Francis Ngannou

• A contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Number two on the list of the strongest heavyweights of the promotion. 

• 18 battles, 15 wins, 3 losses.

As soon as the Predator first appeared on the doorstep of the UFC in 2015, fans and fighters alike predicted with confidence that this guy would soon be fighting for the title. At the same time, it is important to understand that Ngannou was not particularly involved in promoting his name, his killer knockouts and fantastic physical strength did it for him.

He approached the first fight with Miocic with a record of five knockouts in a row in the UFC. Many predicted that the Croatian would go to the floor and be forced to give up his belt. To the shock of many, this did not happen. Accustomed to knocking out rivals in less than a minute, Francis could not even stand after the first five minutes.

For the final four rounds, he tried only to survive and catch the emboldened Miocic, who began to make mistakes himself and for some reason thoughtlessly closed the distance several times. However, Ngannou no longer had enough strength nor energy to develop attacks, his only hope was that Stipe would be equally tired. 

What to expect from Ngannou in the fight with Miocic? 

What you definitely shouldn't expect is a wild stamina gain. His last four fights have ended before the middle of the first round. He knocked out Curtis Blades, Cain Velazquez, Junior Dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik with lightning speed. 

He has only two favorable options for the development of events. It is extremely difficult to predict which one he will choose. Either he will rush to Stipe, hoping to avenge his past failure and knock out the Croatian in the first round.

Or he will decide not to force events and try to exhaust the opponent in response in order to postpone the decisive attack until the third round, when Miocic also begins to slow down. In any case, Ngannou understands that all previous knockouts are worth nothing compared to a title chance against the top fighter in the division. 

Ngannou's chances of winning 

Francis' chances of winning are admittedly great, but Stipe is able to change the gameplay several times during the battle, and we have seen this more than once. On the contrary, Ngannou is often lost and frozen in place if he fails to knock out an opponent in the first round. 

If the fight lasts longer than two rounds, and the forces begin to leave the Predator, there is no doubt that Miocic will take another victory. Sportsbooks are currently giving the edge to Ngannou, though the fight will certainly be a close one. 

Last Five Fights Ngannou

Getting four knockouts in a row in the last four fights is already a serious claim for a title comeback. Each of these fights were over in the first round, and it seems that this result came by way of a serious career reset. 

The last time Ngannou lost in 2018 was in a fight with Derrick Lewis. At that time, we saw the worst version of the fighter, who was only able to reach 30% of his best form. With the current form of four straight knockouts, the situation has clearly changed.

Frequently asked questions about the upcoming fight

❓ When will the fight between Ngannou vs Miocic take place?

The fight between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou will take place on March 27, 2021 at UFC 260. The main card battles will roughly start closer to 10:00 PM EST.

❓ Where to watch the live broadcast of the fight between Miocic and Ngannu?

Subscribers to ESPN+ will be able to watch the entirety of UFC 260, including the two main event fights. 

❓ What are the odds for Miocic and Ngannou?

Francis Ngannou is the sportsbook favorite in the upcoming fight. A victory for Ngannou is offered with odds of -167. At the same time, the odds for the victory of the champion Stipe Miocic currently sit at +124.