If reigning UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic manages to defeat Francis Ngannou when they hook ‘em up for a second time in this weekend’s UFC 260 pay-per-view (PPV) main event, which takes place inside APEX in Las Vegas, then he’s likely to face former 205-pound kingpin Jon Jones at some point later this year.
Just don’t expect Miocic to lose any sleep over the prospect of fighting “Bones” because Ngannou is the most dangerous opponent currently available in the heavyweight division. One small mistake, one moment of distraction, one glance in the wrong direction and the champ could end up looking at the lights.
“Right now all I’m worried about is the fight coming up with Francis,” Miocic told MMA Fighting. “That’s all I care about. I’m not going to worry about Jon Jones until I take care of business. It won’t be nothing like the first fight because [Ngannou has] definitely gotten better and so have I. I’m trying to make it a more one-sided fight, and of course try to end it early, but he’s gotten better. The man hits hard and it’s the heavyweight division so anything can happen.”
Miocic defeated Ngannou when they first went to war in the UFC 220 headliner back in early 2018. “The Predator” stumbled in his very next fight against Derrick Lewis, but then roared back with four straight wins — all by knockout — including a pair of finishes over two former heavyweight champions.
This Sat. night’s showdown will mark the first time since capturing a unanimous decision win over Ngannou that Miocic has faced someone not named Daniel Cormier, and even though “The Predator” is also a familiar foe, the UFC 260 main event will at least get the division back on track for 2021 and beyond.