Stipe Miocic knows he needs to make some big changes if he wants to avenge his loss to Francis Ngannou and reclaim the heavyweight title, which is why the former UFC heavyweight champion is planning to gain 20 pounds for the rematch.
There was a huge discrepancy in size at UFC 260, with Miocic weighing in at 234 pounds and Ngannou hitting the scales at 263. Miocic plans to make up for this by bulking up to a whopping 250 pounds for the trilogy.
“I want to get back what’s mine,” Miocic, who lost to Ngannou via second-round KO, told Pat McAfee on a recent episode of The Pat McAfee show (h/t Farah Hannoun of MMA Fighting). “It’s bulking season. I’m going to eat as much as I can and get big and strong. I’m trying to get to like 250 (pounds). I made 230 last time, not because I tried, but because of training.
“I’m really going to stick to really trying to gain a little bit of weight, just get a little bit more mass. I felt good, but I think 20 pounds will help. I will feel a lot stronger, and he’s a big dude. There’s no question about it.”
Miocic says he ‘felt good’ against Ngannou but acknowledges that he was too hesitant and gun-shy on the feet.
“I felt good,” Miocic said. “I gave him the first round. I wasn’t worried. He’s usually stronger in the first round. I kind of felt him gassing a little bit, but he was still good, and I was like, ‘OK, we still have four more rounds to go,’ and then I hit him with a right hand, and I hesitated for a split-second, and he caught me with that hook. What are you gonna do?”
Ngannou’s first title defense is expected to be against Jon Jones, but ‘The Predator’ believes Miocic is the tougher matchup. Both men are now tied 1-1, with Miocic winning the first fight via unanimous decision and Ngannou finishing Miocic via KO in the rematch.
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