The stakes couldn't have been higher for Andrei Arlovski and Stipe Miocic at UFC 195.
Miocic, barely a year removed from his UFC on Fox 13 loss to Junior dos Santos, couldn't afford to have another L on his record from a top-five fighter. The heavyweight division's title picture is too competitive right now, with Alistair Overeem and Ben Rothwell both owning a claim for a title shot; if Miocic came up short against Arlovski, it would have locked him out of contention for years (and, at 33 years old, the clock is working against him as it is).
When it comes to "the clock," though, Arlovski has been fighting on borrowed time for years now. A four-fight losing streak that started with a terrifying overhand right from Fedor Emelianenko had many openly wondering aloud whether or not Arlovski should even be allowed to fight anymore. The fact that he recovered from that stretch, never mind fought his way back into the top 10, is nothing short of a miracle. UFC writer Damon Martin quoted Miocic after his win:
Stipe Miocic with a vicious KO to finish Andrei Arlovski. Screaming at Dana White now "I want it!!" #UFC195
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) January 3, 2016
Nothing short of their continued relevance was on the line in this fight...and tragically, only one man would be able to hold on. That man, of course, was Stipe Miocic.
The fight was a short one.
After a brief feeling-out period, Miocic exploded into a right hand that slipped through Arlovski's guard. The punch landed cleanly to the side of the former champ's head, and it had him visibly rocked. Miocic didn't exactly stay poised in that situation, winging a few wild punches, but he maintained the center of the cage and continued on offense.
When Miocic reset his feet, Arlovski was, functionally, a human punching bag. Cemented in place with his hands stuck to his ears, Miocic had free rein of his face and body, and made the most of the opportunity. Two more hard punches landed, and Arlovski folded to the canvas. The referee had seen enough and waved the fight to a close at 0:57 of Round 1.
Miocic, to his credit, made the most of his camera time after the fight. Immediately after winning, he stormed across the cage and shouted at UFC President Dana White, and demanded a title shot. He did the same again when UFC commentator Joe Rogan presented him with a microphone.
While he certainly deserves it, there is no guarantee he will get it.
According to strict "MMA Math," the next in line for a title shot is Ben Rothwell, who is riding an impressive winning streak. Another more likely candidate is Alistair Overeem, who knocked out Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox 17.
Whether Miocic's prayers will be answered will be an interesting story for the coming months. Whether Arlovski can come back from this setback, however, is perhaps even more compelling.
