5 opponents for Stipe Miocic when he returns
Stipe Miocic has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in MMA history. He is a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion and has the record for most title defenses.
He knocked out Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 to capture his first heavyweight championship and defended it three times. His successful title defenses came over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. Stipe’s title reign came to an end at UFC 226, when he lost to then-UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
The perfect opportunity presented itself when he was offered a rematch against Cormier at UFC 241. He regained the UFC heavyweight championship and then defeated Cormier again in their trilogy bout at UFC 252. Since losing the title to Ngannou last year, fans are yet to see the 39-year-old in the octagon. This list will look at 5 possible fights for Stipe Miocic when he returns.
#5. Miocic vs. Alexander Volkov
If the former heavyweight champ wants to get back in title contention, a win over Alexander Volkov would help make a strong case. The No.5-ranked UFC heavyweight is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Marcin Tybura to end his 5-fight win streak.
‘Drago’ is a former Bellator heavyweight champion and has competed with some of the top fighters in the division. Some of his notable wins include Werdum, Overeem and Roy Nelson. Considering the two haven’t fought before, it’d be a fresh matchup in the UFC heavyweight division.
Stipe and Volkov’s respective fighting styles would make for an intriguing bout. ‘Drago’ has done a great job using his reach advantage over his opponents. His ability to do damage from a distance makes him difficult to deal with. Stipe, on the other hand, could use his wrestling to close the distance and take the fight to the ground.