"Hasn't been happy with the UFC" - Former PFL champion discusses possibility of Francis Ngannou vs. Stipe Miocic 3 taking place in the SmartCage
Former PFL light heavyweight champion Sean O'Connell has shared his thoughts on a possible third installment of Francis Ngannou vs. Stipe Miocic taking place outside of the UFC.
'The Real OC' recently sat down for a chat with MMA journalist Chamatkar Sandhu. At one point during the interview, O'Connell spoke about possible opponents for Ngannou's debut in the PFL SmartCage.
The former PFL champion brought up Stipe Miocic's name and said that although it was highly unlikely, a trilogy fight between the UFC legend and Ngannou might work wonders for the PFL:
"If it's possible, and I don't think that it is, but if it's possible to get a Stipe Miocic, who hasn't been happy with the UFC for a long time, and obviously just had that fight with Jon Jones drop off the map for him, if it's possible to get him over for a matchup in the SmartCage, I think that's something Stipe would be open to. I think that's something Francis would be open to. Obviously, in the PFL, it would be a big win for us to get, you know, two UFC heavyweight champions, two of the great heavyweights in UFC history fighting in the SmartCage in Francis' debut perhaps."
Check out Sean O'Connell's comments from the 11:38 mark below:
Sean O'Connell has competed in both the UFC and PFL. 'The Real OC' amassed a UFC record of 2-5 and won four out of his five fights in the PFL.
Francis Ngannou vs. Stipe Miocic: What happened in their first two fights?
Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic first locked horns In January 2018. The fight took place at UFC 220 for the heavyweight title. Miocic got the better of the Cameroonian, winning a dominant decision victory. All three judges scored the contest 50-44 in favor of the Ohio native.
The two faced off in a rematch at UFC 260 in March 2021. This time, 'The Predator' turned things around and avenged his loss by scoring a brutal knockout against Miocic in the second round of the fight.
With the victory, Francis Ngannou finally captured the heavyweight belt and also won a 'Performance of the Night' bonus worth $50,000 that night.