The wait is over. The long-awaited meeting between Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou has a date yet to happen. In a press conference held after last Saturday’s event (16), which opened the 2021 season of Ultimate, Dana White confirmed that the confrontation for the heavyweight title (up to 120.2 kg.) It will take place at UFC 260, confirmed for March 27, without a defined location. This will be the second confrontation between the athletes.

Considered one of the most feared men in MMA, Ngannou has been waiting for more than a year for the opportunity to have his rematch against Miocic, who defeated the Franco-Cameroon by points in 2018. Current number one in the ranking, Francis regained his challenger post after running over four rivals in a row, including former group champion Júnior Cigano in 2019.

While Ngannou continued collecting victims in the octagon, Miocic, in recent years, has been dedicated to ending the trilogy against Daniel Cormier, which started in 2018. Since then, the American faced only DC, winning two and losing only in the first encounter, when he ended dethroned.

In addition to the possibility of a great show, the meeting between Miocic and Francis has great value for the organization. The winner of the match is likely to welcome Jon Jones to the division, allowing the legend to win his second title for the company.

Ngannou had not performed since May, when he ran over-promising Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249, winning his fourth knockout in a row. Miocic fought in August when he beat and retired Cormier at UFC 252.

Since Brock Lesnar’s contract with WWE expired, the American became the target of the UFC and Bellator’s desire, and his return to MMA was in the fans’ imagination. However, Dana White tried to curb any expectations. The UFC president, a friend of the former heavyweight champion (120.2kg) and has always shown interest in having him in his organization, updated the soap opera with more information.

To the North American website TMZ Sports, Dana was not excited about Lesnar’s return to MMA and believed that, at 43, he closed this cycle once and for all in his career.

“I didn’t exchange a word with Lesnar. Of course, I would love to know how he and his family are doing. Lesnar had a long and killing career. He arrived at UFC and became heavyweight champion soon after. He made a lot of money! I just don’t see him returning to the UFC, especially at an advanced age,” said Dana.

The last time Brock Lesnar was seen in MMA was in 2016 when he faced Mark Hunt. At the time, the former heavyweight champion won on the judges’ unanimous decision, but the result became no contest because it fell in doping. His MMA record is five wins and three losses, and his most memorable moments were triumphs over Randy Couture and Shane Carwin, as well as a rivalry with Frank Mir.

 

The biggest heavyweight in the history of Ultimate, it seems, will be defined next Saturday (15). UFC 252, which will be held in Las Vegas (USA), brings the trilogy’s outcome between the champion of the category Stipe Miocic against the former champion Daniel Cormier. The winner gets the division belt of up to 120.3 kg.

In addition to the fight for the heavyweight belt, UFC 252 features four Brazilians in action. On the main card, Júnior Cigano faces the dangerous Jairzinho Rozenstruik, while Herbert Burns measures up against Daniel Pineda. In the preliminary program, Livinha Souza faces Ashley Yode, and Virna Jandiroba will face Felice Herrig.

The UFC 252 starts at 19h on Saturday and will be broadcast the Canal Combate of all 11 fights. Rede Globo will not show any match.

The SUPER FIGHTS will broadcast the first two fights of the UFC 252 LIVE video. Our coverage starts at 6:45 pm. The other duels will be followed in REAL-TIME in our minute by minute with texts, photos, and videos of the best moments of all fights.

Anyone who wants to watch all UFC 252 fights online, the Globosat channel offers the CombatePlay service, which the user can subscribe to and only listen online.

UFC 252 info

Date: Aug. 15
Location: UFC APEX facility
Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
How to watch: ESPN+ PPV | Price: $64.99

UFC 252 Fight Program odds :

MAIN CARD (23:00 GMT):

Daniel Cormier -115 vs. Stipe Miocic (c) -105, heavyweight championship

Sean O’Malley -310 vs. Marlon Vera +250, bantamweights

Jairzinho Rozenstruik -135 vs. Junior Dos Santos +115, heavyweights

Herbert Burns -280 vs. Daniel Pineda +230, featherweights

Merab Dvalishvili -260 vs. John Dodson +210, bantamweights

PRELIMINARY CARD :

 

Vinc Pichel -130 vs. Jim Miller +110, lightweights

Livia Renata Souza -170 vs. Ashley Yoder +145, women’s strawweights

Parker Porter -120 vs. Chris Daukaus +120, heavyweights

Virna Jandiroba -310 vs. Felice Herrig +250, women’s strawweights

TJ Brown -155 vs. Danny Chavez +130, featherweights

The fight between Brazilian Herbert Burns and Daniel Pineda was promoted to the main card of UFC 252, which takes place this Saturday (15) in Las Vegas (USA). The athletes took the place of Ion Cutelaba, and Magomed Ankalaev, who had their match canceled after a Moldovan test positive for Covid-19 and forced to leave the show. The information was released by the company’s president, Dana White, in a live broadcast on ‘Yahoo Sports.’

With the news, Burns now joins Júnior Cigano, who will face Jairzinho Rozenstruik right after the challenge of the Niteroi.

Unbeaten since his debut at Ultimate, in January this year, Herbert is heading for his third performance in 2020. Coming from two triumphs in the first round – one by knockout and one by submission -, the Brazilian wants another positive result to get closer to the elite of the division that Alexander Volkanovski leads today.

Even with Burns out of the preliminary card, Brazil will still have two representatives in the first half of the show: Livinha Souza, who faces Ashley Yoder, and Virna Jandiroba exchanging forces against Felice Herrig. The two matches will be played in the straw division (up to 52.1 kg.).

Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will head UFC 252. The meeting will mark the end of the trilogy between the athletes, who face each other for the heavyweight belt (up to 120.2 kg.) And will define, once and for all, who will be at the top of the category.

This Saturday (15), at UFC 252, the world will know the best heavyweight (up to 120.2 kg.) At least that’s what the company president, Dana White, says in the history of Ultimate. However, Júnior Cigano, former champion of the category, makes a reservation regarding MMA’s most prominent name as a whole. In a promotional interview for this weekend’s event, with SUPER LUTAS’s participation, the Brazilian revealed who would be the main fighter of the category of all time.

“Who is the best? It is difficult to say, but I would say Fedor Emelianenko. He did great things in his time. I’m a big fan of his. So, I’m going to choose him, for now,” said the Brazilian.

Despite having Russian as a great reference in the sport, Júnior did not disagree with Dana when it comes to the UFC’s best heavyweight. With an important caveat, the former champion for the organization said that the clash between Miocic and Cormier, who heads the card this Saturday, may best define the company’s history.

“I think I agree (with Dana). The history of the two (DC and Stipe) is good, so it might even be at the moment… but until I get there,” said the fighter.

Cigano will be one of the Brazilian representatives on this weekend’s card. The athlete has a strict commitment against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and the winner of the match may be in good condition for a future title dispute.