UFC targeting Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou for March; Jon Jones' involvement revealed
UFC President Dana White has made it clear that even if Jon Jones makes the jump to Heavyweight, he won't leapfrog Francis Ngannou for a title shot against Stipe Miocic according to Ariel Helwani's latest report.
Francis Ngannou has won four fights since his defeats to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018, and all of them have come either in less than a minute or a little over a minute of the first round.
There are a lot of big fights for UFC to make, and Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou 2 is one of them. According to Ariel Helwani, UFC is targeting Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou's rematch for March, with the winner potentially defending the title against Jon Jones.
Dana White stated in an interview with BT Sport that Jon Jones is in the best place he has ever been, and all indications seem to be that he is serious about his move to Heavyweight.
If Stipe Miocic retains again, it's unlikely that we will see him fight again in 2021. Since 2018, Stipe Miocic has been defending the title once a year. The trilogy with Daniel Cormier, unfortunately, clogged up the Heavyweight division and has left Francis Ngannou feeling frustrated at the forced lack of activity and Octagon time.
What lies ahead after Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou 2?
It would be a bit surprising if UFC would go with Jon Jones as the next Heavyweight title contender. That's not because he isn't worthy of a title shot, but because Israel Adesanya is competing for the Light Heavyweight title.
UFC's had seemed intent on booking Jon Jones vs Israel Adesanya. Dana White admitted that Jon Jones vs Israel Adesanya is "the fight to make" in 2021, and it's hard to disagree. Either way, it's not a bad problem for Jon Jones to have. And it's good to finally get the Heavyweight division moving again.