Miocic tweet hints third match with Cormier near

Stipe Miocic hinted in a June 7 tweet he might soon defend his UFC championship in a third fight with Daniel Cormier.

“The time has come. Who’s ready?” Miocic tweeted along with a picture of himself surrounded by his training crew and the hashtags #SM (his initials) plus #AndStil with the words heavyweight champion not included but assumed.

Miocic has not fought since he beat Cormier in a fourth-round TKO on Aug. 17, 2019, 13 months after Cormier knocked out Miocic to take the belt from the Eastlake North graduate.

Miocic won the UFC heavyweight championship on May 14, 2016, when he knocked out Fabricio Werdum in the first round. He successfully defended his title three times. He Alistair Overeem on Sept. 10, 2016, Junior dos Santos on May 13, 2017 and then Ngannou on Jan. 20, 2018 before losing to Cormier two years ago.

A third battle between Miocic and Cormier seemed natural even as UFC president Dana White was interviewing the victorious Miocic inside the octagon cage at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., last summer.

Cormier, 41 years old, has been itching for a rematch.

“I would love to do my trilogy fight with Stipe Miocic,” Cormier told reporters at UFC 249 on May 9 in Jacksonville, Fla. “But if Stipe

won’t fight, they’re going to take his belt just like Henry (Cejudo) just gave up his and they’re going to make a fight between Francis (Ngannu) and I for the belt. It’s simple as that. You’ve got to fight as the champ.”

Miocic, 37, wouldn’t take the bait until he was ready. Now, it appears, “The time has come,” according to his tweet.

Miocic suffered a torn retina in the fight with Cormier last August. It had to be surgically repaired. Plus, he had nowhere to train because Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all gyms closed in response to the coronavirus. The gyms only recently reopened.

“I’ve already said I’m going to fight DC,” Miocic tweeted on May 11. “He just likes to make noise. My team is working on securing a training location and dates w UFC. I have five belts at home. I don’t need to sit on anything. If I didn’t have a torn retina,

I would’ve already fought & retired.”

Miocic’s June 7 tweet makes no mention of when he would be ready to fight Cormier again, or even specifically that his next match will be with Cormier, although that seems to be a foregone conclusion.

White last month said he would like to stage MiocicCormier III in August, but Miocic at the time said that would be too soon.

Cormier contemplated retiring after losing to Miocic, but then decided to keep fighting because he doesn’t want to go out a loser.

Miocic’s May 11 tweet indicates he will retire if he defends his belt successfully in a third fight with Cormier. ordered all gyms closed in response to the coronavirus. The gyms only recently reopened.

“I’ve already said I’m going to fight DC,” Miocic tweeted on May 11. “He just likes to make noise. My team is working

on securing a training location and dates w UFC. I have five belts at home. I don’t need to sit on anything. If I didn’t have a torn retina, I would’ve already fought & retired.”

Miocic’s June 7 tweet makes no mention of when he would be ready to fight Cormier again, or even specifically that his next match will be with Cormier, although that seems to be a foregone conclusion.

White last month said he would like to stage Miocic-Cormier III in August, but Miocic at the time said that would be too soon.

Cormier contemplated retiring after losing to Miocic, but then decided to keep fighting because he doesn’t want to go out a loser.

Miocic’s May 11 tweet indicates he will retire if he defends his belt successfully in a third fight with Cormier.