UFC 203 preview: Can Miocic break 'hometown heavyweight' curse?

In the UFC heavyweight division, you can't go home again.

Reigning champion Stipe Miocic's first defense will take place in Cleveland, the city to which he brought a title after a 52-year drought filled with torturous letdowns. His knockout win of Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 was the first domino in a stunning resurgence for Cleveland sports.

When the Cavaliers followed up by taking home the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it was Miocic who led the parade.

It's hard to imagine any city embracing a UFC champion as much as Cleveland embraced Miocic. He should enjoy the love fest while it lasts because if recent history is any indication, defending the heavyweight title in his hometown is destined to end in catastrophe.

When Miocic flew to Brazil in May to fight then-heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198, it was "Vai Cavalo" who was marching around Curitiba as the conquering hero. Werdum was so elated at getting to fight on home soil he was almost stuck with permanent "Werdum face."

That expression changed real quick once he stepped into the Octagon with Miocic. Looking wildly overconfident, Werdum uncharacteristically chased Miocic around the cage only to find himself on the receiving end of a thudding counter-punch that left him unconscious on the mat.

It was a harsh reversal of fortune for Werdum, who'd taken the title from Cain Velasquez under similar circumstances. On June 13, 2015, it was Werdum marching into enemy territory when he challenged the nigh-unbeatable Velasquez in Mexico City.

Ironically, Velasquez was unprepared for the elevation and shockingly gassed out before being submitted by Werdum in the third round.

Two champions granted the honor of a hometown championship defense. Two title changes.

It could be a coincidence, but Miocic might discover this favorable booking is a curse in disguise when he faces Alistair Overeem in the main event Saturday at UFC 203.

Related: Overeem would feel 'sad' taking belt from Cleveland's Miocic

The wait is over for CM Punk

On the UFC roster since December 2014, Punk has already been the subject of countless interviews, put in hours of promotional work, and was recently the subject of a four-part documentary series chronicling his training.

Now, all that's left is for him to actually fight.

All eyes will be on Punk when he makes his UFC debut, many of them from outside the mixed martial arts realm. That's exactly what Dana White was hoping for when he brought in the former WWE Superstar during a stretch where many of the promotion's proven draws were either retiring or on the decline.

Fortunately for White and the Fertitta brothers, fighters like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor would soon burst into the mainstream, which put Punk in an odd place as his MMA debut was repeatedly delayed. In fact, the UFC landscape is dramatically different since Punk's signing:

There's no longer any pressure on Punk to bolster crossover interest, nor is there any expectation of him becoming a future titleholder as he fights for the first time at age 37 after spending the majority of his adult life punishing his body in a wrestling ring.

He's free to focus solely on his performance as he faces fresh-faced welterweight Mickey Gall on the PPV main card. At the very least, he should aim to last longer than Gall's last opponent:

Browne risks it all for revenge

If Travis Browne isn't careful, he might soon lament his gift for falling upwards.

"Hapa" landed a high-profile spot at UFC 200 opposite Cain Velasquez in July, a fight that ended with Browne being finished with strikes in the first round. Rather than be sent to the back of the line, Browne decided to step in for an injured Ben Rothwell to rematch Fabricio Werdum in Saturday's co-main event.

While Browne is understandably excited about getting the chance to avenge his 2014 unanimous decision loss to Werdum, with another setback he could be pushed out of the contender's circle and closer to the unemployment line.

Another young gun comes for Faber's spot

Jimmie Rivera is the latest up-and-coming bantamweight to try his hand at taking the top-3 ranking Urijah Faber has held for what feels like an eternity.

"The California Kid" is often criticized for receiving title shot after title shot (and coming up short in those bouts), but he's earned each one by shutting down younger fighters. Iuri Alcantara, Michael McDonald, and Alex Caceres are just a few of the 135ers who thought they'd make their name off of Faber only to be denied passage into the division's elite.

UFC 203 presents Faber another fresh challenger in Rivera, a well-rounded 27-year-old who's won his past 18 fights. It's the same old song and Faber again has to show he can still hit all the right notes.

For more coverage of UFC 203, check out theScore's fight predictions