After Overeem, Stipe Miocic Wants to Avenge an Old Loss

This weekend, in the main event of UFC 203, Stipe Miocic will attempt to defend his UFC heavyweight title against decorated striker Alistair Overeem. Though Miocic is favored to win this fight, which will occur in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio, his victory is certainly not a foregone conclusion.

Despite the scale of this looming challenge, the heavyweight king has already given some thought to possible future opponents. Though the next heavyweight title shot is likely to go to former champion Cain Velasquez, the new champion says he’s most interested in avenging the last blemish on his record: a decision loss to Junior Dos Santos. The two heavyweights engaged in a tooth-and-nail battle back in 2014.

Miocic admitted this desire on the latest episode of the UFC Unfiltered Podcast.

“Yeah, of course, who doesn’t,” Miocic told the show’s hosts, when asked if he’d like to avenge his loss to Dos Santos. “I don’t like losing, man. I think Junior is a great guy and a great fighter. I think if we were to do it again it would be a great fight again. It would probably be another five-round war.”

Though Dos Santos ended 2015 with an ugly, knockout loss to Alistair Overeem, he rebounded from that loss in April, when he handed the dangerous Ben Rothwell a five-round walloping in Zagreb, Croatia. Given the Brazilian bomber’s return to relevance, and the fact that he recently made a return to training after a serious shoulder injury, a rematch with Miocic could well occur down the road. Of course, a Miocic loss this Saturday could throw a sizeable wrench in that plan.

Would you like to see Stipe Miocic and Junior Dos Santos go at it again, and if so, who do you think would win this time around? Sound off, PENN nation!