Miocic’s next foe might be winner of Feb. 17 bout

The long-awaited return of former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is Feb. 17 in Phoenix.

It’s a safe bet another former heavyweight champion — Stipe Miocic — will be watching.

Who emerges the winner between Velasquez (14-2), out several years with injuries, and Francis Ngannou (123), the No. 3-ranked heavyweight by UFC.com, could be in line for a fight with the Eastlake North graduate and Cleveland firefighter.

That’s because the more this drags out on social media and wherever else, the chances of Miocic getting a rematch with current heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier (22-1) diminish.

The more Cormier talks about Miocic, the more it appears the champ is looking elsewhere for his next fight. Miocic-Cormier II could happen, but probably not as soon as Miocic hopes.

As for Cormier, plans for his retirement in March (the month of his birthday) also appear to be on hold. He’s said numerous times when he turned 40 it would be time to call it a career. Cormier recently said those plans are on hold as the long-awaited bout vs. WWE’s Brock Lesnar is still in his plans.

That has Miocic frustrated. He’s told The News-Herald numerous times he won’t fight again unless it’s vs. Cormier for the heavyweight belt.

“I want (Cormier) and

that’s it,” said Miocic. “It’s all I care about. The rematch.”

Miocic, who’s 18-3 and the No. 1-ranked heavyweight by UFC.com, lost his belt to Cormier last July in Las Vegas, and hasn’t fought since. Miocic is the only UFC heavyweight to defend the belt three consecutive times.

Meanwhile, Cormier defended his belt last November against No. 2-ranked Derrick Lewis, and since that fight has battled injuries. Cormier said he’s also had an issue with Miocic’s inactivity, even though the former champ said he offered to fight Cormier last November.

“I just don’t like that I’ve fought again and he still hasn’t fought,” Cormier said.

This round-and-round between Miocic and Cormier has been ongoing since last August, a month after Miocic lost his belt.

Miocic said he deserves a rematch, then recently said Cormier “owes” him that. That wasn’t received well by Cormier, who responded via Twitter saying, “I don’t owe anyone (expletive).”

Cormier offered this to Miocic going forward:

“Just go beat somebody up, then you can’t ignore it,” Cormier said during a recent appearance on “The MMA Hour.” “He can go knock somebody out again and it’s like, ‘Well, you gotta fight him.’ Then the last memory of him in the octagon is not him getting knocked out.”

Which leads to Feb. 17 in Phoenix, where Velasquez, a good friend of Cormier, fights Ngannou in the main event at “UFC on ESPN 1.”

If Cormier isn’t willing to grant Miocic a rematch — and as long as Lesnar stays in the discussion it appears that won’t happen — the next-best thing for the former champ would be fighting the VelasquezNgannou winner.

If it’s Ngannou, it would be a rematch. In January 2018 in Boston, Miocic dominated Ngannou in a five-round unanimous decision. It also gave the former champ the UFC heavyweight record of three straight title defenses.

If it’s Velasquez, who many regard as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the UFC, it would create an intriquing matchup with Miocic, considering Velasquez’s close ties with Cormier.

Fighting the NgannouVelasquez winner isn’t what Miocic and his team wants to hear, but at this point it might be the nextbest option.