Stipe Miocic isn’t happy with the UFC’s heavyweight hold-up.
The last man to wear the UFC heavyweight belt before current champion Francis Ngannou, Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) is not thrilled he has to wait for the heavyweight division to figure itself out before he gets another crack at gold.
In the comments of an Instagram post by ONE Championship that asked which fighter fans would like to see the Asia-based promotion sign next, Miocic chimed in with a series of thinking emojis. When asked by a fan about having to wait for the UFC 265 interim heavyweight title main event between Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis to take place, Miocic expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay.
“I shouldn’t have to wait for the winner,” Miocic wrote. “I have the most heavyweight title defenses of all time … we’re 1:1 but DC got instant rematches and trilogies against me?”
Miocic, 38, has not competed since his second-round knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March. The defeat came after he defeated Daniel Cormier in back-to-back fights to earn, and then retain, the title.
The UFC has recently engaged in rocky negotiations with Ngannou and former UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, who is moving up to heavyweight, which resulted in Gane vs. Lewis.
While he’s remained relatively quiet since his March loss, Miocic’s name has been mentioned by UFC president Dana White on multiple occasions, but always as being the a challenger one or two title fights down the line.
Stipe Miocic not thrilled by UFC’s heavyweight logjam: ‘I shouldn’t have to wait’
