The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Miocic’s next opponent likely from this group
The next fight for Stipe Miocic is potentially the biggest of his UFC career.
That’s because the heavyweight champion has the opportunity to make history among the land of giants.
Since former Ohio State wrestler and NCAA champion Mark Coleman became the first UFC heavyweight champion in 1996, no heavyweight has defended the belt more than two times.
Miocic reached title defense No. 2 on May 13 with his fourth straight first-round knockout, putting Junior dos Santos to sleep in 2 minutes, 22 seconds.
The next time Miocic fights, a shot at history will be on the line. When that happens is up in the air. Miocic said after the dos Santos fight he “needed time” to “figure things out.” His coach Marcus Marinelli said his fighter needs a break.
Since winning the title from Fabricio Werdum in May 2016, Miocic has fought twice. That’s three fights in the last 12 months.
Should he turn down a fight in the fall from UFC president Dana White — if that opportunity comes about — he would skip the four-to-five-month cycle he’s been on for a few years. That would put the champion in line to fight in January 2018.
There are plenty of potential opponents for Miocic, who improved to 17-2 with the win over dos Santos.
However, plenty could change by the time 2018 arrives.
Here’s a breakdown of the five most likely candidates to next fight Miocic: FABRICIO WERDUM >> The Brazilian was the last fighter to hold the belt before Miocic, but Werdum’s reign didn’t last long. Miocic claimed the belt in Werdum’s backyard with a — what else? — first-round TKO. Ever since that loss, Werdum has been urging White for a rematch. First is a bout vs. Alistair Overeem on July 8 in Las Vegas at UFC 213. It will be the third time they’ve fought, and probably the most important. The winner should be one of, if not, the No. 1 contender and in line for a title shot. ALISTAIR OVEREEM >> ‘The Reem’ — as he’s nicknamed — suffered a firstround KO at the right hand of Miocic in September at Quicken Loans Arena, but UFC fans shouldn’t forget the first few minutes of the bout. Overeem held his own and more vs. Miocic, as he floored the champ with a solid left, but the challenger could not finish off the fight. On its own, Overeem-Werdum 3 has the makings of a quality heavyweight bout. Throw in the fact this could be a pseudo semifinal contest to a shot at Miocic’s belt, and it could be epic. CAIN VELASQUEZ >> He’s the wild card among the heavyweight cluster. White said after UFC 211 the former two-time champ is looking at a return in the fall, but nothing is confirmed. Velasquez was scheduled to fight Werdum last December but had to bow out because of injury. He hasn’t fought since a KO of Travis Browne in July 2016. Velasquez is considered by many one of the great heavyweights in UFC history. Pitting him vs. Miocic would be a dream matchup, but only if he’s healthy. White could be intrigued by such a matchup, and could tell Velazquez to continue on the mend until early 2018. That might not be fair to the winner of WerdumOvereem, but the world of combat sports isn’t always fair. FRANCIS NGANNOU >> The former bodyguard nicknamed “The Predator” recently said he wasn’t “impressed” with Miocic’s knockout of dos Santos. Chalk that up as just talk, mostly because Ngannou said he wants to fight Velasquez next. He joined the UFC in 2013. In January 2017, his last bout, Ngannou KO’d Andrei Arlovski in the first round. A Miocic-Ngannou bout would be intriguing, as the upand-comer who fights out of Paris is ranked No. 5. DERRICK LEWIS >> Lewis is a big man at 260 pounds with a 79-inch reach. He fights Mark Hunt on June 10. A win would give Lewis seven in a row and continue to generate buzz for a title shot. He’s currently ranked No. 6 in UFC.com’s heavyweight rankings. PREDICTION >> Conventional thinking says the Werdum-Overeem winner gets a Miocic rematch, but the world of fighting is hardly conventional. White, like anyone running combat sports, loves huge events and hype. Nothing would be bigger in the heavyweight division or create more buzz than a Miocic-Velasquez super fight with the champion on the doorsteps of UFC history. If Velasquez is healthy — that’s a big if — the feeling here is White won’t be able to resist the urge, especially since the fighters have never faced off in the octagon.