Stipe Miocic is expecting to hear “And Still” when he rematches Francis Ngannou at UFC 260.
Miocic is set to defend his heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 260 on March 27. Although Miocic dominated the first fight at UFC 220 winning all five rounds including one round being a 10-8, many pundits believe the rematch will be different. Ngannou has looked improved but Miocic doesn’t think the result will change.
“Francis is a super tough guy,” Miocic said, speaking on the “Oral Sessions” podcast (via TheMacLife). “He’s been knocking everyone out again and he’s on a tear, and unfortunately he’s going to have to fight me again. That’s the bad part. He’s definitely gotten better, but so have I.
“I know I’m getting old, but I’ve gotten wiser and I’ve got a few new tricks up my sleeve. (They say) you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, which is a lie,” Miocic continued. “I’ve learned a lot since the last couple years ago. It’s the same outcome. I’m going to walk out with the belt around my waist: and still.”
Stipe Miocic used his wrestling to control Ngannou but it appears he believes his speed will be the difference-maker this time around.
“Timing and speed,” Stipe Miocic said. “Really just speed. It’s all about speed. Speed kills, and that’s something we’ve really worked on the last couple camps fighting ‘DC.’”
Stipe Miocic is currently coming off his trilogy fights with Daniel Cormier, where he won the final two fights to reclaim and defend his titles. The Cleveland native also holds notable wins over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, and Fabricio Werdum.
Francis Ngannou, meanwhile, has only suffered two defeats in the UFC and that was to Miocic and Derrick Lewis. Since the back-to-back losses, he has earned first-round knockout wins over Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, dos Santos, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
