Francis Ngannou is looking for a title fight. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Stipe Miocic: Francis Ngannou deserves UFC title fight over Jon Jones

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Aug 24, 2020 5:59 PM ET

After Stipe Miocic successfully defended his heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 earlier this month, UFC boss Dana White repeatedly said that knockout artist Francis Ngannou is next in line for a championship bout even though superstar and pay-per-view draw Jon Jones is moving up to the heavyweight division.

Miocic has no issue with this.

The 38-year-old champion spoke with ESPN and agreed with White about who sits atop the list of heavyweight contenders.

"I think so. Ngannou has definitely shown a lot better stuff since the first fight. He's knocking everyone out in the first round. He's just on a tear."

Per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Miocic added:

"I'll fight anyone. I don't really call people out. Whoever they put me in front of, I'm gonna fight. That's what I do. That's what I signed up for. If it's (Jones) or it's Ngannou or whoever, I'm ready to go."

Miocic defeated Ngannou by unanimous decision, 50-44, 50-44, 50-44, at UFC 220 back in January 2018. Since November of that year, Ngannou has tallied four straight victories and stopped each of those opponents in the first round.

Despite Ngannou's recent run of form, Miocic believes a rematch would yield the same result.

"It doesn't matter," he told Raimondi. "The same thing is gonna happen. Same result. There's no difference that's gonna happen. I'm gonna win and dominate."

Miocic has enjoyed lengthy breaks following each of his three fights versus Cormier, and it's assumed that will again be the case given he has no timetable to return to the octagon. Ngannou, meanwhile, last fought in May when he beat Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds at UFC 249.

Jones has been out of action since a controversial win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

More must-reads: