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Stipe Miocic has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history. He is a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion and has the record for most title defenses.
He knocked out Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 to capture his first heavyweight championship and defended it three times. His successful title defenses came over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. Stipe’s title reign came to an end at UFC 226, when he lost to then-UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
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The perfect opportunity presented itself when he was offered a rematch against Cormier at UFC 241. He regained the UFC heavyweight championship and then defeated Cormier again in their trilogy bout at UFC 252. Since losing the title to Ngannou last year, fans are yet to see the 39-year-old in the octagon. This list will look at 5 possible fights for Stipe Miocic when he returns.
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#5. Miocic vs. Alexander Volkov
If the former heavyweight champ wants to get back in title contention, a win over Alexander Volkov would help make a strong case. The No.5-ranked UFC heavyweight is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Marcin Tybura to end his 5-fight win streak.
‘Drago’ is a former Bellator heavyweight champion and has competed with some of the top fighters in the division. Some of his notable wins include Werdum, Overeem and Roy Nelson. Considering the two haven’t fought before, it’d be a fresh matchup in the UFC heavyweight division.
Stipe and Volkov’s respective fighting styles would make for an intriguing bout. ‘Drago’ has done a great job using his reach advantage over his opponents. His ability to do damage from a distance makes him difficult to deal with. Stipe, on the other hand, could use his wrestling to close the distance and take the fight to the ground.
#4. Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 3
Stipe Miocic might have other ideas in mind for his return to the octagon. Depending on what happens at UFC 270, a trilogy bout with Francis Ngannou could be a possibility. ‘The Predator’ will defend the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane. If he loses, a third bout with Stipe would be the ideal fight to make.
The former champion defeated Ngannou in their first fight, which was one where many felt he’d lose his heavyweight championship. He silenced the naysayers and ended up proving why he should be considered the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history.
‘The Predator’ made significant improvements in the rematch and ended Miocic's second title reign. With that in mind, it’d be interesting to see if the former champion would be able to make similar adjustments. Obviously, it wouldn’t be a good idea to get into a slugfest with Ngannou, so the former champ's wrestling would be the deciding factor.
#3. Miocic vs. Ciryl Gane
Like the trilogy with Ngannou, Miocic vs. Ciryl Gane could be a possibility depending on what happens at UFC 270. He may be waiting on the result of the heavyweight title fight before committing to a return to the octagon.
Gane has risen up the UFC heavyweight rankings in a short amount of time. The interim UFC heavyweight champion has a 10-0 MMA record and has wins over top contenders. Gane’s TKO win over former champion Junior dos Santos was a statement win that put the division on notice.
He followed that up with wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov. At UFC 265, he finished Derrick Lewis to become interim heavyweight champion in arguably the biggest win of his career so far.
Gane is a well-rounded fighter, especially for a heavyweight, which makes him difficult to deal with. He moves well for a fighter his size and has elite level striking from his background in Muay Thai.
#2. Miocic vs. Derrick Lewis
Another fight that would make sense for Miocic for his return would be against Derrick Lewis. The bout would generate plenty of interest due to Lewis’ popularity.
‘The Black Beast’ is coming off a win over Chris Daukaus on the last UFC Fight Night of 2021. It was a historic win for Lewis as he set the record for most knockout wins in UFC history. He's scheduled to fight Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271, so another win could set the stage for a bout with Stipe.
Since the win, Lewis has mentioned Stipe as a potential opponent and somebody he matches up well with. ‘The Black Beast’ told Ariel Helwani that he feels he’d be an underdog against Stipe and would be motivated by that.
“I feel like I don’t have to prove anything and that’s one of the reasons why I want to fight Stipe next. I believe that would be a great matchup for the fans and for both of us,” Derrick Lewis to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
#1. Miocic vs. Jon Jones
Arguably the biggest heavyweight bout the UFC could book for Miocic when he returns is against Jon Jones. The former light heavyweight champion is expected to compete at heavyweight this year and a bout with Stipe could be inevitable.
‘Bones’ is considered to be the greatest light heavyweight champion in UFC history. After defeating every challenger at 205lbs, Jones is looking for a new challenge and moving to heavyweight checks that box.
Based on accolades, it’d be understandable why the promotion could decide to book a fight between two of their greatest champions. Despite dominating the light heavyweight division, Jones hasn’t competed at a heavier weight class, so there’ll be some getting used to.
‘Bones’ could notice a difference in his movements at heavyweight and might feel the need to adjust his fighting style. The former heavyweight champion could have the advantage against Jones, considering he’s fought and had success defeating much larger opponents in his career.
