Daniel Cormier predicts Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight for interim heavyweight title in Francis Ngannou's absence
Daniel Cormier believes the UFC will look to book an interim heavyweight championship fight between Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones in the absence of Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou's long-term future is currently unknown. 'The Predator' is likely going to be on the shelf for a while as a result of the knee injury he suffered in the weeks leading up to his fight at UFC 270. This leaves Dana White and the UFC matchmakers with some decisions to make regarding the future of the division.
Cormier, who has been keeping a close eye on proceedings, thinks a Miocic vs. Jones matchup could be the way to go. In a recent episode of ESPN MMA's DC & RC show, the former two-division champion said:
“I think we’ll see another interim title. For me, what makes sense for that interim title is Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones. I think you put those two together and then no matter who wins, when Francis comes back, you have a massive fight waiting for him.”
Watch the latest episode of DC & RC below:
Stipe Miocic's last appearance inside the octagon was his KO loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 last year. Miocic is now 1-1 with the reigning Cameroonian champion and a trilogy bout remains on the cards.
Following his final title defense at 205 lbs against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, Jon Jones opted to vacate the belt and subsequently set his sights on the heavyweight division. Ever since then, 'Bones' has been packing on quite a bit of size and muscle as he prepares to make the move up.
What happened when Daniel Cormier fought Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic?
In totality, Daniel Cormier has fought Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic five times. Cormier's rivalry with Jones was almost certainly more bitter out of the two. In his two-fight series with 'Bones', 'DC' came up short on both occasions.
In their first fight at UFC 182, Jones came away with a unanimous decision victory. The rematch went down at UFC 214, where he secured a TKO finish in the third round. However, the bout was later overturned to a no-contest after 'Bones' tested positive for a banned substance. In his absence, Cormier was reinstated as the 205 lbs champion.
So ...
About last night. #UFC214 https://t.co/cPF17m5lL3
After a successful title defense against Volkan Oezdemir, Daniel Cormier moved up to heavyweight and challenged then-champion Stipe Miocic for the title. He became a two-division champion after knocking out Miocic at UFC 226.
They proceeded to fight on two more occasions, with Miocic emerging victorious both times. Following their trilogy fight at UFC 252, Cormier retired.
"Been a helluva ride, huh?"
Daniel Cormier says thanks and farewell after #UFC252 (via @dc_mma) https://t.co/bGUlFPRbIo