LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White could only praise Stipe Miocic in the fallout of his title-fight loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260.
Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) saw his second heavyweight title run come to an end Saturday when he dropped the belt to Ngannou (16-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) by second-round knockout in their main event rematch at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was a tough fight, and he couldn’t get much of anything going in the less than six minutes of fight time before being put out cold.
The fact Miocic holds a dominant win over Ngannou and is the most decorated fighter in UFC heavyweight history would certainly warrant a trilogy fight, but that doesn’t seem likely in the near future. White spoke of Jon Jones and Derrick Lewis as the likely next opponents for new champ Ngannou, and “The Predator” didn’t show much excitement about a potential rubber match.
That leaves questions about what’s next for Miocic, who has yet to publicly comment on his plans moving forward. For his part, White said he can’t forecast what’s on the horizon.
“I don’t know what the future holds for Stipe,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC 260. “Obviously after this fight, he’s got to go home and heal up and spend some time with his family and then we’ll talk about what’s next for him. But I have nothing but the utmost respect for Stipe Miocic and everything he’s done in this sport and for this company.”
White, who has historically had a contentious relationship with Miocic, could’ve used the opportunity to tear the former champion down after a brutal defeat. Instead, he opted to build Miocic up and put a spotlight on his accomplishments in etching himself as an all-time great heavyweight.
At 38, Miocic’s time at the top of the mountain may be over. It’ll be up to him to show otherwise if he wants to pursue regaining the belt. BBut if not, White said his legacy is already firmly set.
“I’ve had this weird relationship with Stipe, but I love Stipe,” White said. “The guy is as solid as you can get. (He) kept his job as a firefighter, is loved in his hometown, and will go down as the greatest heavyweight ever in UFC history – in the sport’s history, actually. Tonight’s Francis’ first night.”
Dana White: ‘I don’t know what the future holds’ for Stipe Miocic after UFC 260 title loss
