Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou II is in our future.
UFC heavyweight champion Miocic defeated former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 252. Miocic will face another familiar foe for his next title defense. UFC President Dana White says Francis Ngannou is next for the heavyweight champion.
“Francis is definitely next,” White said at the UFC 252 post-fight press conference (via Mike Bohn & Ken Hathaway of MMA Junkie). “I mean, you can’t jump over Francis. Francis has been out there destroying everybody, and if you look at how long ago it was that he got that title shot (against Miocic), he’s worked his way back. It belongs to Francis Ngannou. But yeah, Jon Jones going to heavyweight is very interesting.”
Ngannou and Miocic met for the first time at UFC 220 and it was Miocic who scored a unanimous decision on that night to retain the UFC heavyweight title. Ngannou has won four of five since the loss to Miocic. Those wins are over Curtis Blaydes, former UFC heavyweight champions Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
There is no word at this time as to when Miocic and Ngannou, who last competed at UFC 249, will have their second encounter in the Octagon.
UFC 252 took place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, August 15. Miocic defeated Cormier by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) to cap off their trilogy.
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