The return of UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is currently in the works, as Miocic and his team are working towards a new contract with the promotion.
According to a recent report by MMA Fighting, those contract negotiations have begun and are already trending in a positive direction. While nothing is set in stone, a successful agreement between both parties could land Miocic back inside of the Octagon early next year.
Miocic, 35, tied the UFC heavyweight record for consecutive title defenses (2) when he knocked out Junior dos Santos at UFC 211 this past May. More impressively, Miocic has finished all five of his recent victories by way of knockout, including wins over top-flight competition like Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem and the aforementioned JDS.
Despite his recent success, Miocic was not going to return to the cage without a new UFC contract. After all, both of Miocic’s previous two opponents (dos Santos and Overeem) made more than the champion on fight night. That’s a financial discrepancy Miocic is unwilling to entertain at this time and the reason why he’s requested a new agreement with the promotion heading into 2018.
Upon his return, regardless of who the next No. 1 contender is in the heavyweight division, Miocic will be aiming to break UFC history with his third-straight title defense. That has to be a big enough reason to give the Ohio native what he needs in order to step back inside of the Octagon and continue his knockout surge.