Junior dos Santos: Stipe Miocic has the edge over UFC champion Fabricio Werdum

The UFC officially announced Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic as the main event of UFC 198 in Brazil, and former champion Junior dos Santos believes that a new champion will be crowned on May 14.

"Cigano", who holds wins over both Miocic and Werdum under the UFC banner, gives the challenger an edge in the stand-up area, and doesn’t expect the champion to be successful in the wrestling department.

"Werdum has evolved a lot, he impressed in the few times he fought. He has evolved a lot," dos Santos told MMAFighting.com. "His ground game is the best in the heavyweight division, no question about it. He has what it takes to keep the belt for a good time, but he’s facing a tough opponent next. Miocic has that knockout punch. I was completely dizzy a few moments when we fought. He has that punch, and his stand-up is more complete and better than Werdum’s.

"I don’t see how… Werdum is excellent on the ground, but I don’t see him taking anyone down. If the fight stays standing, I see Miocic as the favorite. If it goes to the ground, it’s going to be fast. But I see Miocic as the favorite standing. Comparing their qualities, I don’t see Werdum taking him down, so it’s going to be a stand-up fight and Miocic has an advantage."

dos Santos is currently scheduled to take on Ben Rothwell in the main event of UFC Fight Night 86 on April 10, and believes that having two fighters he already defeated in the upcoming championship bout benefits his case for a shot at the gold in the future.

"I think it’s great that I already beat the two guys in the next title fight," he said. "I think it’s great that the division is stacked. When you have someone holding the belt for so long… It’s positive in a way, yes, but the division is in a good moment.

"I don’t care that much about rankings, and that doesn’t matter that much in the UFC too," he continued. "What really matters is which fight sells more at the moment. I want to move forward and get to my goals. My main goal is to become world champion again, and I know I’m capable of doing that, but I need to earn a title shot first, and I might need two or three fights. But I’m capable of doing that."