5 possible opponents for Stipe Miocic

#5 Brock Lesnar

UFC 200: Tate v Nunes — Brock Lesnar facing Miocic would certainly draw a massive PPV buyrate

When Ngannou was talking as if him defeating Miocic was a given, one of the names he threw out as his next opponent was the former UFC Heavyweight champion – and current WWE Universal champion – Brock Lesnar. Right now Lesnar isn’t contracted with the UFC, but his USADA suspension for a positive drug test is now over which means he could make a comeback somewhere down the road – something UFC President Dana White has suggested he’d be open to.

Granted, coming off a positive drug test and well over a year out of active MMA competition, giving Lesnar a title shot would be extremely controversial, but then the UFC have shown plenty of times that they’re not above giving undeserving fighters title shots – especially if they can draw PPV buys. And no Heavyweight in UFC history has drawn buys quite like Brock Lesnar, after all.

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The risk with this option would be that Lesnar could win, leaving the UFC with a Heavyweight champion who isn’t fully committed to the sport, but given Miocic is a bad match for Lesnar – he resembles Cain Velasquez, who easily destroyed Brock in 2010 – it’s a risk that Dana White and the WME-IMG power brokers may be willing to take. I don’t expect to see Lesnar back in the cage in 2018, but if he does return, to see him opposite Miocic wouldn’t truly surprise me.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by anirudh.b