February 9, 2020 - Will there be a trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier? UFC president Dana White weighs in.
In an interview with ESPN, Dana White revealed that the UFC is only waiting for Stipe Miocic to set up the third fight against Daniel Cormier.
"It's very clear. Miocic is hurt. When he's not, we'll make the fight. You saw Cormier basically come out and say, 'Stipe has the ability to retire me. If he doesn't take this fight, I'm going to retire.' We'll see how this thing plays out," White said.
Current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic recently received a medical license to return to training, but the status of his injured eye is still not ideal.
Last August, Miocic avenged Cormier for the July 2018 defeat, returning the heavyweight title to his name. The roles have now reversed, and it is Daniel Cormier who is looking for a rematch.
"I have offered him other fights," White said of Cormier. "But he feels Stipe is the fight he can get up for. That's what he wants. And he doesn't want anyone else. I can't make him fight anyone else. He needs to do it. I'd like to see that fight happen," the UFC president added.
Current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones also recently stated that he "really wants to fight Stipe Miocic and that he is convinced that he can beat him."
"I would love to see it. I would love to see him go on and take on Stipe or any of the top five guys in the heavyweight division. That's up to him. He can stay at light heavyweight and keep knocking them down and creating this incredible legacy, basically being the Tom Brady of the UFC."
UFC circles have often mentioned a ‘trilogy fight’ between Miocic and Cormier, which would determine the true winner once and for all. But is that really what the people want?
Stipe Miocic hit the streets of New York for The Players’ Tribune to find out more last month.
In the video, fans mention the obvoius Cormier, two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, and Irish Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor. How likely the latter is, we aren't so sure.
Miocic has been given medical clearance for his eye injury and even said he resumed sparring last month.
“I’m better – a lot better. It’s healed up. I’m taking my time with it because I’m 37, so I don’t want to injure it again. I want to be able to see out of both eyes when I get older. That’s all I really care about right now. I love fighting, but my health is more important.
I’ve been trying to spar a little bit. It’s been rough because I’ve not sparred in over five months. The guys that I take it out on would take it out on me. It’s not been fun. I’m thinking about that in the back of my mind,” Miocic said on MMA Junkie.
So, will Miocic face Cormier next?
“Not right now. I just got cleared. I’m taking my time getting back into the swing of things. We’ll figure it out and see what happens,” the fighter concluded.
Stipe Miocic is often regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the MMA, is a two-time and current UFC Heavyweight Champion, and was the first fighter to win three straight UFC heavyweight title defenses.
Will there be a trilogy fight between Miocic and Cormier? Only time will tell.
Furthermore, after the highly anticipated Tyson Fury/Deontay Wilder fight on February 22, 2020, Stipe Miocic announced that he wanted to fight the new WBC heavyweight titleholder. Namely, Miocic addressed the 'Gypsy King' in a Twitter post after the fight, expressing that he wanted to jump in the ring with Fury, too.
"Congrats Tyson Fury. I'd love to sing Sweet Caroline in the ring. Let's do this," Miocic said.
This comes after Fury expressed his desire to fight Miocic for ESPN back in November.
"Stipe says he wants to box me -- that would be a good fight for sure," Fury said through management company MTK Global. "After I get [Deontay] Wilder out of the way, I'll fight Stipe in a boxing match if he wants it. It would be a big crossover fight like [Floyd] Mayweather and [Conor] McGregor. I'm open to that fight, so he should come and see me. It would be the same outcome for any of them. They'll all get smashed."
Miocic also said he was more interested in a boxing match with Fury than a third fight with Daniel Cormier.
"Tyson Fury is coming in the mix now, I hear. I like a new challenge. I'd love to box him. He's a great fighter. He's a good dude, and I think we'd put on a good show."
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