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Considering the speed that UFC has fast tracked hard-hitting Francis Ngannou into a title shot on Jan. 20, it's fair to question whether the promotion is betting that "The Predator" might just be the next big thing in the sport. 

Less than an hour removed from Ngannou's knockout of the year against Alistair Overeem in December, UFC president Dana White announced the native of Cameroon will challenge heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 later this month on just 49 days' notice. 

If you are willing to go as far as suggesting the UFC wants Ngannou (11-1) to come out victorious against Miocic (17-2), well you are not alone. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion happens to agree. 

"Obviously, for sure," Miocic told The MMA Hour on Monday. "Listen, I feel a little bit disrespected, but I'm not going to dwell on it."

Despite the fact that Miocic, 35, enters on a five-fight knockout streak and sits one victory away from breaking the UFC heavyweight record for consecutive title defenses at three, it's hard to deny his lack of marketability. A native of Ohio who still works as a firefighter/paramedic, Miocic has never been known for his gift of gab and his clean-cut image has yet to produce significant pay-per-view buys for the company.  

The 31-year-old Ngannou, meanwhile, has drawn comparisons to Mike Tyson when it comes to the raw energy his fights produce thanks to his devastating power. Ngannou has finished all six of his UFC opponents since his 2015 debut and, thanks in part to his near decapitation of Overeem, enters his first title fight as the betting favorite despite just four years of professional experience. 

"He's got more hype on him I guess," Miocic said. "The guy hits super hard. We're making a big thing about it. I've fought some good guys, you know? That's how we are. I'm not much of a trash talker, I just like to fight. That's what I do."

Miocic, who hasn't found since his May 2017 knockout of Junior dos Santos in their rematch at UFC 211, sat out the rest of the year with a contract dispute. The situation has since been fixed and Miocic has no problem entering this showdown as the underdog. 

"I'm comfortable with being the underdog," Miocic said. "You see, every time I'm the underdog, I win, so I'm not worried about it.

"All the pressure is on him, honestly … The best guys he has faced, I knocked them out two years ago. So, whatever."