While that bout didn’t come to fruition, Miocic took notice when Jones vs. Gane was announced for the vacant heavyweight crown on Saturday.
“March 4 — I like it,” Moicic wrote on Twitter. “I got winner in July.”
March 4th - I like it.
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) January 15, 2023
I got winner in July.
A two-time UFC champion regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport, Miocic is nearing two years of inactivity. The Ohio-based firefighter hasn’t competed since March 27, 2021, when he relinquished the heavyweight crown in a second-round knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. The 40-year-old Strong Style Fight Team product apparently isn’t ready to hang up his four-ounce gloves just yet — a fact that was confirmed by UFC president Dana White.
“Stipe is still obviously very much in the mix,” White said at the UFC Fight Night 217 post-fight press conference. “He’s going through some stuff right now that he’s dealing with. The timing just didn’t work for him.”