Former UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, has laid out his prediction ahead of the upcoming ‘Battle of the Baddest’ showdown between current WBC world champion, Tyson Fury, and UFC phenomenon but boxing debutant, Francis Ngannou.
Miocic and Ngannou met in January 2018 in the latter’s first challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. It was Miocic, who many regard as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the franchise, who came out on top, dominating the Cameroonian to a comfortable win on the scorecards.
The pair would meet once again in March 2021, where Ngannou would claim revenge and take the title with a spectacular knockout, ending Miocic’s second reign in the division in spectacular fashion.
After just one title defence, Ngannou left the UFC in favour of a switch to the Professional Fighters League and in pursuit of fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional boxer.
Now, at 37-years-old, he has landed the unique opportunity of facing the on of the sport’s best in Tyson Fury, and goes into the contest as a major underdog. That’s opinion that Miocic seemed to agree with in an interview with Michael Bisping.
“It will be a good fight. I mean, on paper? No [he won’t beat Fury]. But it’s a fight, anything can happen. He [Ngannou] hits hard and he throws wild.”
Fury and Ngannou will meet in a ten-round bout on October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, headlining an event that is likely to draw huge pay-per-view numbers from around the world.
Meanwhile, Stipe Miocic will aim to become a three-time UFC champion on November 11 when he challenges Jon Jones in one of the most highly-anticipated UFC cards in recent memory.