The recently deposed UFC heavyweight champ, Stipe Miocic, wasn’t too happy to hear that Francis Ngannou and Cyril Gane will be fighting to unify the division early next year. Miocic told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he only lost his belt to Ngannou in March, and felt that he should at least be in the interim title conversation.
“I would have loved to have been asked. I feel like I understand what the UFC’s doing, it’s a business, but at the same time I think that I deserved a trilogy fight.
Miocic Upset That He’s Not in Heavyweight Title Conversation
I wasn’t even asked for the interim fight. Who knows if I would have taken it but just it would have been nice to be asked. Just toes in the water. I don’t know. We don’t know. It’s over with.”
In the interim title fight, which also irritated reigning champ Francis Ngannou, Cyril Gane knocked Derrick Lewis out to claim the interim belt.
Stipe Miocic still feels like he should have been offered the first fight against Ngannou, a chance to reclaim his belt in an immediate rematch. Currently, Miocic and Ngannou are 1-1, and a trilogy fight might be a great way to settle the score.
“Listen, I’m used to it. It is what it is. It’s business. I get it but at the same time, I feel like I was deserving of a trilogy fight. Everyone else has gotten one but me. I let him dictate the pace. I let him do what he wanted.
I just didn’t do what I want, just kind of stayed back. Got hit a few times, took a terrible shot. There was a lot of things I did wrong. But listen, we all make mistakes. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
He hit me with some good shots but that left hook is the one I didn’t see. I hit him with that right and I came in guns blazing with my hands down and he hit me with the one I didn’t see. That was the end of it.”
Stipe Miocic hasn’t fought since losing his belt to Francis Ngannou, but during his time at the top was one of the most feared fighters in the game. He defended his title four times across two title reigns, and holds the record for longest title reign in heavyweight history, with three consecutive title defenses.
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