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Stipe Miocic is set to defend his heavyweight championship against Daniel Cormier on August 15th, at UFC 252. Both men will be facing each other for the 3rd time for the course of the last 3 years. And for Stipe Miocic, Cormier has been his only opponent for 3 years.
The score between them is set at 1-1, with Cormier winning the first meeting and Stipe returning the favor in their rematch.
Cormier is looking to retire after the fight, regardless of the outcome of the scrap. As for the record holder of most title defenses in UFC heavyweight history Miocic, who turns 38 this month, it remains to be seen what is next.
He is currently focused on extending his record of title defenses to 4 against Cormier and beat the Olympian wrestler for the 2nd time.
Many expect him to be on the back foot though as he will be fighting inside a smaller 25 feet cage at UFC Apex comparing to the standard 30 feet cage. This favors Cormier's superior wrestling background immensely. Although Stipe Miocic is not someone to complain about these things as he will be looking to establish his way inside he octagon regardless of those factors.
What's next for Stipe Miocic?
A three years old rivalry will be ending, So there will be new challenges. A win against Cormier should make way for other contenders in line to challenge the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. Speaking of contenders there is a certain Francis Ngannou, who has been on a tear lately, looking to get his rematch against Stipe.
The two men fought before at UFC 220, in a fight where Ngannou had very little moments to show off his power and Stipe Miocic almost bullied him for 5 rounds to show his experience and versatility as a martial artist.
But Ngannou's last 4 fights have averaged just 40 seconds, which is quite incredible. Also "The Predator" is now a much more experienced fighter than the first time they fought. A rematch between the two is on every fans' wishlist.
Also, a super fight between Stipe Miocic and current UFC light heavyweight champion will be a great business and every fight fan will love to see that fight.
Should "Bones" move up to heavyweight, it will be likely for a title fight. So the possibility of him facing off against Stipe Miocic is very much realistic.
Also, there has been one other possibility that many fans are predicting. According to some, regardless of the outcome of the fight against Cormier, Stipe Miocic will follow in his opponent's footsteps and hang up the gloves himself. If that happens it will be one of the most historic moments not just for the UFC but for the sport of MMA.
But with no indication of a possible exile from Miocic's part, those suggestions might be a bit far fetched. There are a lot of fiery matchups still to be made for the current champion.
