Dana White: Stipe Miocic could “possibly” be stripped if he doesn’t defend title

UFC President Dana White says it’s possible UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will be stripped of his title if he doesn’t defend it in a timely manner.

Miocic has long been linked to a tie-breaking trilogy fight with fellow heavyweight legend Daniel Cormier. That being said, Miocic moonlights as a firefighter, and is focused on his duties as a first-responder during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He doesn’t intend to rematch Cormier until the pandemic is under control and he’s able to undertake a complete training camp.

“I have no cage, no training partners, nothing,” Miocic told ESPN recently. “I need a full camp. I need to be back in the swing of things before I even get into camp because that’s how you get injured. I’m so used to training all the time and now I can’t do anything. It’s crazy. I have no training. There’s no place for me to train.

“There’s no way I can fight him in August,” Miocic added. “The state of Ohio is shut down. What do you want me to do?

“Listen, late fall, whatever is fine. As long as everything works out and we can train and everything is open.”

According to White, the UFC could be forced to take action and strip Miocic of his title if he doesn’t play ball. With the UFC resuming regularly scheduled programming this weekend, White suggested fighters now have no excuse not to fight.

“Possibly,” White told Barstool Sports (via MMA Fighting). “Listen, fights can happen right now. You either want to fight or you don’t.”

Stipe Miocic has not fought since August, when he defeated Daniel Cormier to reclaim the title.

What do you think of this comment from Dana White? Should the heavyweight champ be at any risk of losing his heavyweight title due to inactivity?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/6/2020.