Stipe Miocic's next fight: When is it and who is he fighting?

Stipe Miocic’s next fight is on March 27th, 2021. Miocic is fighting longtime rival Francis Ngannou.

Reigning UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is all set to put his title on the line in a rematch against Francis Ngannou in the main event of UFC 260 (March 27th, 2021).

The first fight between Miocic and Ngannou took place at UFC 220 back in January 2018. It witnessed Miocic successfully defend his UFC heavyweight title via unanimous decision.

Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 1

Stipe Miocic (left); Francis Ngannou (right)

The first fight between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou was regarded as one of the most exciting stylistic clashes in MMA history. Heading into the fight, one of the most significant talking points regarding the conflict was the infamous ‘UFC heavyweight title curse’.

Before Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 1, no heavyweight champion in UFC history had managed to successfully defend his title more than two times in a row.

However, this changed at UFC 220 when Stipe Miocic scored an impressive unanimous decision victory over Francis Ngannou. Miocic and Ngannou are both well-known for their thunderous KO power. Still, many in the combat sports community had expected Ngannou’s striking and KO power to be more than enough to overwhelm Miocic.

Regardless, Stipe Miocic utilized his excellent grappling skills, particularly his wrestling, to tire out Francis Ngannou and out-work him en route to a win. Additionally, even in the striking exchanges, Miocic seemed to hold his own against Ngannou’s famed blitzes.

We have NEVER seen Francis Ngannou like this before 😳Stipe Miocic has put on a champion's display 👏 #UFC220 pic.twitter.com/myfDxZLh4v

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 21, 2018

Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2

Stipe Miocic (left); Francis Ngannou (right)

Fast-forward to 2021 and Stipe Miocic is still the UFC heavyweight champion. Granted that Stipe Miocic had dropped his title to Daniel Cormier after the first Ngannou fight; Miocic managed to beat Cormier in the rematch, regain the belt, and beat Cormier again in their trilogy fight.

Stipe Miocic’s most recent fight was a unanimous decision win over Daniel Cormier in their trilogy matchup at UFC 252 in August 2020. The only fighter Miocic faced after his first fight against Ngannou is Daniel Cormier.

On the contrary, Francis Ngannou has faced multiple opponents since his first fight against Stipe Miocic. His first fight against Miocic was followed by another unanimous decision loss, this time against Derrick Lewis.

Nevertheless, after the back-to-back losses against Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis, Francis Ngannou amassed a four-fight winning streak. All of the four wins have come via KO/TKO. Furthermore, Ngannou’s most recent fight was a first-round KO win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 in May 2020.

Which fighter do you see emerging victorious in the UFC 260 heavyweight title clash between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou? Sound off in the comments.