Since he lost the UFC heavyweight championship in 2021, Stipe Miocic largely has remained quiet, at least when it comes to his fighting career.
On Sunday, Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) spoke up, though, in the wake of news of both Francis Ngannou’s UFC departure and the March 4 vacant title fight between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
“March 4th – I like it,” Miocic wrote on Twitter. “I got winner in July.”
March 4th – I like it.
I got winner in July.
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) January 15, 2023
Moicic, 40, and Jones were linked as potential opponents for multiple dates in 2022. However, the logistics never aligned, and Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) was matched with Gane (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) instead.
“Stipe is still obviously very much in the mix,” UFC president Dana White said on Saturday, minutes after confirming the heavyweight division’s major happenings. “He’s going through some stuff right now that he’s dealing with. The timing just didn’t work for him.”
Miocic has not competed since March 2021 when he was knocked out by Ngannou in the main event of UFC 260. The defeat marked the end of his second reign as UFC heavyweight champion and snapped a two-fight winning streak. Miocic is the all-time winningest heavyweight champion in promotion history. His victories include Daniel Cormier (twice), Ngannou, Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, and Fabricio Werdum among others.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 285.
