The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Miocic enters ’19 in state of flux
What’s lies ahead for Stipe Mioicic in 2019 is anyone’s guess.
The former UFC heavyweight champion said he won’t stop until he gets another title shot. When, if, how and why that happens — or not — is as cloudy as the current state of the UFC heavyweight division.
For six months, Daniel Cormier was the light heavyweight and heavyweight champ after he knocked out Miocic last July in Las Vegas. Since then, Miocic has tweeted at, goaded and done whatever else to get Cormier’s attention for a rematch.
It hasn’t happened. Then Dec. 29, Cormier gave up his lightheavyweight title before the Jon Jones-Alexander Gustafsson lightheavyweight bout at UFC 232 in Los Angeles. Exlight heavyweight champ Jones won to reclaim the vacated title then taunted Cormier after it, calling for a third fight. Jones is the only fighter to defeat Cormier, doing it twice – although one was later changed to a no-contest after Jones failed a drug test.
There’s hatred between Jones and Cormier. There’s respect between Miocic, 35, and Cormier, 39. There’s mega money to be made from a Jones-Cormier fight — if Jones is willing to move up to the heavyweight division.
“Stipe is training and looks better than ever. He’s more motivated than any other previous fight because he is a proud father ... We will soon be ready for a title fight, regardless of opponent. The belt is coming back to Cleveland in 2019.” – Jim Walter, Stipe Miocic’s manager, on his outlook for Miocic in UFC in 2019
However, Jones said this after UFC 232: “I’m not gonna go to heavyweight and try to take everything from him and destroy his legacy and all that stuff. Is it possible I could do that? It is possible. But I’m fine having mine and he can have his.”
So — for the time being — Jones isn’t going to heavyweight. Things could change because in the fight game, money talks. If Jones does go to heavyweight, Miocic’s waiting game will continue, and further cloud his 2019.
The Eastlake North graduate and Northeast Ohio firefighter said he wants to prove the result last July “wasn’t supposed to happen.” In that main event at UFC 226, Miocic and and Cormier were exchanging backand-forth punches in Round 1 until the former champ was caught by a right cross from Cormier. In a blink, the belt changed hands.
Even after the loss, Miocic — who’s 18-3 and defended the belt a record three straight times — remains the UFC’s No. 1-ranked heavyweight contender but that hasn’t translated to a rematch with Cormier.
Miocic’s manager Jim Walter said “yes and yes” when asked if he expects his client to fight soon in 2019, and for the title.
“Stipe is training and looks better than ever,” said Walter via text message. “He’s more motivated than any other previous fight because he is a proud father ... We will soon be ready for a title fight, regardless of opponent. The belt is coming back to Cleveland in 2019.”
Following Cormier’s win over Miocic, UFC president Dana White said WWE’s Brock Lesnar — who’s long been rumored to return to octagon after serving a suspension for PEDs — would be Cormier’s next opponent.
Then in December, Cormier fought and defeated Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 in New York. It was a development Miocic called “terribly” frustrating. The big question is if Lesnar-Cormier will ever happen. Lesnar reportedly has a new deal to remain a WWE wrestler, but after Jones’ win Dec. 29, White did not close the door on LesnarCormier.
“(Lesnar) is not out of the picture,” White told the media after UFC 232. “Absolutely (he could still fight Cormier). I think he’s already under contract with me. We were talking about it, and then he ended up signing a new deal with WWE.
“When he’s ready, he can come here and fight and he’s gonna make a ton of money here, too. So it makes sense. I’m assuming that’s what’s going on.”
That’s not what Miocic, Walter and the rest of his team want to hear from White. Walter believes the Lesnar-Cormier fight won’t happen. The most logical step, he said, is obvious.
“Stipe is available to fight and perform for the fans,” he said.
There’s not much left from an opponent standpoint for Miocic in the early part of 2019. He hasn’t fought in six months, and that stretch might extend up to nine months. That would be Miocic’s longest stretch of inactivity since going eight months between his bouts with Junior dos Santos (May 13, 2017) and Francis Ngannou (Jan. 20, 2018).
Speaking of Ngannou, he is the No. 3-ranked heavyweight and is set to fight former champ Cain Velasquez Feb. 17 at UFC on ESPN. The winner of that bout could be in contention for a title shot.
Then there’s this: Cormier has said numerous times he plans to retire in March when he turns 40. If Cormier follows through on retirement, it could pave the way to a vacated belt by the spring.
If that happens, expect Miocic to be in talks for that fight.
“Of course, I want the belt and I want to fight for the title. But I want D.C.,” Miocic recently told The News-Herald. “I think about it every day. It’s what drives me every day.”
There’s also this consider: UFC 235 needs a main event for its payper-view event in Las Vegas on March 2. That would fit Cormier’s timeline of retirement.
“Stipe and (Cormier) on March 2 is a no-brainer,” said Walter.
For now though, Miocic has to play the waiting game as 2019 presents more questions than answers for the former champ.