STIPE MIOCIC IS the new UFC heavyweight champion, dethroning Fabricio Werdum with a one-punch KO in the main event at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil.

Miocic connected with a perfect right hand that floored Werdum and forced referee Dan Miragliotta to step in and stop the fight after 2:47 of the first round.

“Cleveland, we got a champion, baby,” said 33-year-old Miocic, who was born in Ohio to Croatian parents.

His win ends a 52-year championship curse for the city, whose fans are widely regarded as the longest-suffering in American sport.

And Miocic urged LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to double down on his victory by going all the way and winning the first NBA title in franchise history.

“(Werdum) had me guessing,” Miocic said afterwards.

I caught him with a good right hand and he went down.

Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza stopped Vitor Belfort late in the first round of the co-main event at the Arena da Baixada football stadium, while Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino was every bit as impressive as expected on her UFC debut as she made light work of Leslie Smith in less than 90 seconds.

UFC 198 Results

• Stipe Miocic def. Fabricio Werdum, KO (punch), R1 2:47
• Ronaldo Souza def. Vitor Belfort, TKO (punches), R1 4:38
• Cris Justino def. Leslie Smith, TKO (punches), R1 1:23
• Mauricio Rua def. Corey Anderson, SD (28-29, 29-28 x2)
• Bryan Barberena def. Warlley Alves, UD (29-28 x3)
• Demian Maia def Matt Brown, SUB (rear naked choke), R3 4:31
• Francisco Trinaldo def. Yancy Medeiros, UD (30-26 x2, 29-27)
• Thiago Santos def. Nate Marquardt, KO (punches), R1 3:39
• John Lineker def. Rob Font, UD (30-27, 29-28, 30-26)
• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Patrick Cummins, TKO (punches) R1 4:52
• Sergio Moraes v Luan Chagas, split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)
• Renato Moicano def Zubaira Tukhugov, SD (28-29, 29-28 x 2)

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‘We just love trying to do that to ourselves. We love that feeling of pain’