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Rematch against Ngannou scheduled
Miocic will look to defend his heavyweight title in a rematch against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 on March 27, MMAJunkie.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Miocic beat Ngannou by unanimous decision back in January of 2018. That was part of a stretch in which Miocic has won eight of nine fights, with the only setback being a first-round knockout loss against Daniel Cormier in July of 2018. That loss cost him the title belt, though he won it right back by beating Cormier via a fourth-round TKO in his next fight. On Ngannou's part, his loss in his previous match against Miocic is one of just two defeats in his 12-fight UFC career. He'll enter the rematch on the back of a four-fight winning streak, taking a total of 2:42 to earn those wins.
Miocic beat Ngannou by unanimous decision back in January of 2018. That was part of a stretch in which Miocic has won eight of nine fights, with the only setback being a first-round knockout loss against Daniel Cormier in July of 2018. That loss cost him the title belt, though he won it right back by beating Cormier via a fourth-round TKO in his next fight. On Ngannou's part, his loss in his previous match against Miocic is one of just two defeats in his 12-fight UFC career. He'll enter the rematch on the back of a four-fight winning streak, taking a total of 2:42 to earn those wins.
Remains heavyweight king
Miocic retained his UFC Heavyweight Championship on Saturday, defeating Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) at UFC 252 in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
This was a true back-and-forth affair. It didn't start well for Stipe. He appeared to drop Round 1 and allowed Cormier to set the pace. Miocic didn't look great for a good portion of Round 2, either, until he dropped DC with one big shot late in the frame that likely stole him the round. He was in a dominant position and may have very well earned a stoppage had Cormier not been saved by the bell. It was by far the biggest moment of the fight. Aided by a vicious accidental eye poke that referee Marc Goddard did not see, Stipe appeared to widen the gap between the two men in Round 3. DC responded with a competitive Round 4 before Stipe regained the momentum for the vast majority of Round 5. Miocic entered in arguably the best shape of his career, and that cardio was on full display in the final frame when he appeared to be the fresher fighter. DC's eye injury played a major factor in this fight, but Stipe went out and did what he had to do. The rumors of a potential Miocic v. Jon Jones super fight won't go away, but the overwhelming likelihood is that Stipe's next title defense will come against the wrecking ball that is Francis Ngannou. Miocic successfully defended his title against Ngannou back in January 2018, winning via unanimous decision. That being said, Ngannou is a different fighter now. No fighter in the sport hits harder. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Stipe finds himself a betting underdog if that fight gets made.
This was a true back-and-forth affair. It didn't start well for Stipe. He appeared to drop Round 1 and allowed Cormier to set the pace. Miocic didn't look great for a good portion of Round 2, either, until he dropped DC with one big shot late in the frame that likely stole him the round. He was in a dominant position and may have very well earned a stoppage had Cormier not been saved by the bell. It was by far the biggest moment of the fight. Aided by a vicious accidental eye poke that referee Marc Goddard did not see, Stipe appeared to widen the gap between the two men in Round 3. DC responded with a competitive Round 4 before Stipe regained the momentum for the vast majority of Round 5. Miocic entered in arguably the best shape of his career, and that cardio was on full display in the final frame when he appeared to be the fresher fighter. DC's eye injury played a major factor in this fight, but Stipe went out and did what he had to do. The rumors of a potential Miocic v. Jon Jones super fight won't go away, but the overwhelming likelihood is that Stipe's next title defense will come against the wrecking ball that is Francis Ngannou. Miocic successfully defended his title against Ngannou back in January 2018, winning via unanimous decision. That being said, Ngannou is a different fighter now. No fighter in the sport hits harder. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Stipe finds himself a betting underdog if that fight gets made.
Cormier rematch date set
Miocic will fight Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 252 on Aug. 15 in Las Vegas, Ariel Helwani of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
This will be the third bout between the two heavyweights. Miocic suffered a torn retina in his win over Cormier last August and is cleared to fight, but admitted in April that he still deals with some issues resulting from that injury. Despite the potential vision issue, he still came out victorious in that bout, using body shots to his advantage to earn the TKO victory in the fourth round. He racked up 123 significant strikes in that matchup, but also allowed his opponent to land 181, suggesting this could be a fantasy-friendly fight if it gets past the initial rounds. Miocic is currently a slight betting favorite of roughly (-120) at the time of the fight announcement, which is an improvement from when he closed as a slight underdog the last time around.
This will be the third bout between the two heavyweights. Miocic suffered a torn retina in his win over Cormier last August and is cleared to fight, but admitted in April that he still deals with some issues resulting from that injury. Despite the potential vision issue, he still came out victorious in that bout, using body shots to his advantage to earn the TKO victory in the fourth round. He racked up 123 significant strikes in that matchup, but also allowed his opponent to land 181, suggesting this could be a fantasy-friendly fight if it gets past the initial rounds. Miocic is currently a slight betting favorite of roughly (-120) at the time of the fight announcement, which is an improvement from when he closed as a slight underdog the last time around.
Still dealing with eye problems
Miocic (eye) admitted to Ariel Helwani of ESPN that he's still experiencing eye problems resulting from his August 2019 matchup against Daniel Cormier.
ANALYSIS
Miocic was officially diagnosed with a torn retina, and he told Helwani on Wednesday that he still sees spots on occasion. While a trilogy fight against Daniel Cormier has long been anticipated, his medical team has advised him to take his time with a comeback. Cormier turned 41 in March and has long been looming retirement, so it's fair to question if that matchup ever will happen. In the meantime, Miocic -- who works as a first responder -- plans to instead focus his efforts on a bigger fight, the one against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miocic was officially diagnosed with a torn retina, and he told Helwani on Wednesday that he still sees spots on occasion. While a trilogy fight against Daniel Cormier has long been anticipated, his medical team has advised him to take his time with a comeback. Cormier turned 41 in March and has long been looming retirement, so it's fair to question if that matchup ever will happen. In the meantime, Miocic -- who works as a first responder -- plans to instead focus his efforts on a bigger fight, the one against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cleared to fight
Miocic (eye) was cleared to fight Saturday but has yet to establish a timetable to return, Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Miocic suffered an eye injury in August during his fight against Daniel Cormier in which he reclaimed the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The injury left him sidelined for the remainder of the calendar year, but he'll now be able to sign a contract when he feels ready. The 37-year-old has resumed training and has expressed an openness to take on whatever opponent the UFC puts him against.
Miocic suffered an eye injury in August during his fight against Daniel Cormier in which he reclaimed the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The injury left him sidelined for the remainder of the calendar year, but he'll now be able to sign a contract when he feels ready. The 37-year-old has resumed training and has expressed an openness to take on whatever opponent the UFC puts him against.