SUMMARY
- Owing to his longstanding tenure and accomplishments, Miocic became the heavyweight GOAT for many.
- Starting off his UFC tenure in 2011, Stipe has fought and beaten some of the best in his division and the sport.
Stipe Miocic is often hailed as one of the best heavyweights ever to grace the Octagon. Owing to his longstanding tenure and accomplishments, Miocic became the ‘heavyweight GOAT’ for many. However, it has been a long time since we’ve seen him in action.
Following his last fight at UFC 260, Miocic has been missing in action. Currently #4 in the heavyweight rankings, the Croatian-American fighter has been inactive for nearly 3 years now. As such, due to the dynamic nature of the sport, newer fans have seemingly forgotten how good Stipe was.
Notably, Stipe holds the record for the most UFC Heavyweight title defenses (4) and the most consecutive UFC Heavyweight title defenses (3). Starting off his UFC tenure in 2011, Stipe has fought and beaten some of the best in his division and the sport. As such, his resume includes wins over Mark Hunt, Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Francis Ngannou, and Daniel Cormier (x2).
As for his UFC career, Stipe has 14 wins and 4 losses to his name. Additionally, the 41-year-old was also an accomplished amateur boxer prior to his MMA days. Although his fight with Jon Jones at UFC 295 fell through, there is a belief that Stipe will return to the Octagon once more before finally calling time on his career.
Who did Stipe Miocic fight at UFC 260?
As mentioned previously, owing to the cancellation of his much-anticipated fight against Jones, there was a real belief that Stipe would likely never fight again. Interestingly, Miocic also made an appearance at UFC 295, where many fans felt that he did not resemble anything close to a fighter. Thus, it is almost a given at this stage that Stipe’s next fight will definitely be his last.
As for his last outing inside the Octagon, Miocic took on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou for the second time. Having out-pointed the Cameroonian in their previous encounter, there was a belief that Stipe would try and replicate something similar. Unfortunately, his decision to stand with Ngannou proved to be his downfall, as he found himself folded and unconscious within a minute of Round 2.
Naturally, there was a great desire for the champ to return for a trilogy fight against Ngannou. However, the UFC seemingly had other plans. It was during this time that the UFC proposed a matchup between Stipe and Jon Jones for the first time. Initially, Jones’ heavyweight debut was planned for UFC 276 but fell through due to unresolved contract negotiations. Thereafter, Jones called out Stipe for a short-notice fight at UFC 282.
Eventually, Jones would go on to fight Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, and then call for the Stipe fight again. This time, the fight was set for UFC 290 during International Fight Week. Unfortunately, the fight was once again pushed back, this time to UFC 295. Then tragedy struck as Jones suffered a pectoral injury weeks ahead of the fight. As such, with ‘Bones’ being out for such a long time, fans will eagerly await to see when the fight finally transpires again.