It looks like the UFC has big things in store for its next trip to Texas. As originally reported by Combate, a heavyweight title fight between Stipe Miocic and former champ Junior Dos Dantos is being discussed as the headliner for UFC 211. The event, recently confirmed by the UFC, is set to go down May 13 at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
The bout will mark the second title defense for heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic. After winning the belt from Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 last April, Miocic returned to successfully defend the crown against Alistair Overeem in Miocic’s native Ohio at UFC 203 in Cleveland. Dos Santos, meanwhile, was linked to a headlining bout against Stefan Struve at the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Halifax. However, a Struve injury nixed the fight, and Dos Santos was pulled from the card.
Miocic and Dos Santos originally squared off at UFC on Fox 13, where Dos Santos won a unanimous decision over the man who would go on to be champ. JDS would drop his next fight to Alistair Overeem, but bounce back with a win over Ben Rothwell this past April in Croatia.
With Cain Velasquez injured and Fabricio Werdum having turned down a couple of fights recently, it would seem the UFC is eyeing Dos Santos as the biggest name in the division available, and booking the fight accordingly. That’s if the bout does go down as rumored. Per Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting, it’s far from a done deal:
No, quite far from done, I'm told. https://t.co/MVYXge37DY
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 24, 2017
Fingers crossed, as this is likely the best heavyweight title fight the UFC could make at the moment.
