Stipe Miocic will get an opportunity this coming weekend to further enhance his reputation as the finest heavyweight in UFC history when he attempts to defeat Francis Ngannou for a second time in a hugely anticipated showdown at Saturday’s UFC 260 in Las Vegas.
The fight comes more than three years after the pair last met when the then-undefeated knockout sensation Ngannou was stifled through five rounds by Miocic en route to what was a record third successive heavyweight title defence. The defeat appeared to take a toll on Ngannou who appeared gun-shy in his next outing against Derrick Lewis, but the Cameroon-born slugger has since rebounded with four KO wins on the bounce — all in less than three combined minutes of Octagon time.
But Miocic, now on the back of a three-fight stint against Daniel Cormier, is ready to take on the concussive threat possessed by Ngannou once again, and he doesn’t see it going down much different to their first encounter.
“Francis [Ngannou] has gotten a lot better since the first fight with me, but styles make matchup, and unfortunately, the style I have is not good for him,” Miocic said on an episode of the UFC’s Countdown show.
“I’m walking out ‘And Still.'”
The winner of Saturday’s heavyweight title tilt will also position themselves for another MMA milestone after UFC boss Dana White confirmed that the winner will most likely defend their crown against former longtime light heavyweight champion Jon Jones but Miocic says that he isn’t taking his eye off this weekend’s challenge.
“Right now, all I’m worried about is the fight coming up with Francis,” he said to MMA Fighting. “That’s all I care about. I’m not going to worry about Jon Jones until I take care of business.”
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