"That's a tough one" - Dana White decides against committing to a potential Stipe Miocic-Francis Ngannou trilogy fight
With UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic finally done with his saga of fights against Daniel Cormier, the division is full of exciting match-ups. The Cleveland native will face Francis Ngannou for the second time when he defends his title this Saturday at UFC 260.
UFC president Dana White was present along with the two heavyweights in the press conference for Saturday's event. Towards the end of the presser, Dave 'The Shmo' Schumelson asked Dana White a question that the latter had a tough time answering.
The Schmo asked Dana White whether Stipe Miocic would be granted an immediate rematch if he ended up losing the fight against 'The Predator' at UFC 260. The question came with the pretext of an earlier announcement that the winner of the main event of UFC 260 would go on to face Jon Jones in his debut at heavyweight.
Answering the question, Dana White said:
"Hmmm. That's a good one, Schmo. I don't know. We'll see what happens, see how this thing plays out. It would be tough to say, 'No, he doesn't deserve the rematch,' of course. Yeah, I don't know."
Why is Dana White hesitant about committing to a Stipe Miocic-Francis Ngannou trilogy?
Dana White seemed reluctant to commit to the idea of an immediate trilogy fight if Stipe Miocic loses because of one reason: Jon 'Bones' Jones. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion last fought in February of 2020.
Jones defended his LHW strap against Dominic Reyes at UFC 247, marking his 11th successful title defense in the UFC. The win also helped him equal Demetrious Johnson's record of most successful title defenses in the UFC.
After the fight, 'Bones' decided to move up to the heavyweight division, having cleaned out his own division over the years. The No 1. pound-for-pound fighter is expected to fight the winner of Miocic vs Ngannou 2, and Dana White seems intent on making the fight happen.
On the other hand, his reluctance in providing a straight answer could be because, if any fighter deserves a chance at redemption, it will be Stipe Miocic (if he loses on Saturday). Miocic has arguably cemented himself as the G.O.A.T of the heavyweight division, with the most number of title defenses and the most strikes landed.
Do you think Stipe Miocic should be granted an immediate rematch if things don't go his way on Saturday? Let us know in the comments section!