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Five months after his last bout, Cleveland UFC heavyweight Stipe Miocic has agreed to fight Brazilian veteran fighter Gabriel Gonzaga.

(Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland heavyweight contender Stipe Miocic finally has a date and an opponent for his next Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.

Miocic has reached a verbal agreement to fight Gabriel 'Napao' Gonzaga at UFC on Fox January 25 in Chicago, UFC public relations manager Matt Radmanovich confirmed in an email Wednesday night.



Miocic, 30, is the ninth-ranked heavyweight contender, and has not fought since his June victory against Roy “Big Country” Nelson at UFC 166. That win solidified Miocic in the top 10 after he suffered his first loss in his previous fight, by technical knockout to Stefan Struve in September 2012.

Miocic is 10-1 in his mixed martial arts career, and 4-1 since making his UFC debut in 2011.

Miocic (6-4, 240), is a firefighter paramedic in Oakwood Village and Valley View and could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Gonzaga, 34, is a veteran fighter with a 16-7 record. The 6-2, 245-pound Brazilian briefly retired, but has come back with two first-round knockouts in the last three months. In 2007, Gonzaga was the No. 1 contender and lost to champion Randy Couture in a third-round technical knockout at UFC 74.

Also on the

are No. 1 lightweight Benson Henderson fighting No. 4 Josh Thompson, and No. 10 featherweight Darren Elkins vs. Jeremy Stephens.