Miocic KOs Werdum to become new UFC heavyweight champion

Stipe Miocic is the new UFC heavyweight champion after a stunning first-round knockout of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Ohio native captured the coveted belt when he caught a charging Werdum with a devastating right hand that left Werdum limp on the canvas at 2:47 of the opening period:

The Arena da Baixada fell silent when they realized what had happened. Up until the finish, the two fighters were feeling each other out with jabs to the face and kicks to the body.

Miocic drew first blood with a punch that cut Werdum's left eyelid. The wound incited Werdum and he became more aggressive in his approach until he had Miocic backing up by cage fence.

The defending champion's fury proved to be his undoing as he walked right into the path of a Miocic counter strike that sent him crashing down.

Miocic becomes the UFC's 19th undisputed heavyweight champion. He previously knocked out Andrei Arlovski and Mark Hunt to earn his shot at Werdum, and has now won six of his last seven fights.

Post-match, Miocic proudly proclaimed that he had won the title for the championship-starved city of Cleveland.

Werdum fails in his first title defense since wresting it away from Cain Velasquez last May. The UFC heavyweight championship remains the organization's most volatile, having never been successfully defended more than two times.

It was also the first loss for Werdum since dropping a unanimous decision to Alistair Overeem in June 2011.