Stipe Miocic likely won't fight again in 2019. 

The UFC heavyweight champion and part-time Valley View firefighter suffered a torn retina when Daniel Cormier poked him in the eye prior to Miocic's fourth-round TKO on Aug. 17.  Miocic will get re-evaluated in a few weeks, Jim Walter, Miocic's manager, told Crain's on Friday, Sept. 27. 

"He probably won't fight before the end of the year," said Walter, the president of the Kaulig Sports & Entertainment, the newly formed sports division of the Hudson-based Kaulig Companies. 

When Miocic resumes competition, the assumption is he'll fight Cormier a third time. 

The 40-year-old Cormier won the first fight via a first-round knockout at UFC 226 on July 7, 2018.  Miocic regained the heavyweight title 13 months later, and the bouts with Cormier are the only ones he's taken since he defended his title with a win over Francis Ngannou on Jan. 20, 2018. 

"I'm gonna fight this guy again," Cormier recently told ESPN. " My intention is to fight him in the right way. ...  It has to be against Stipe.  No one else matters." 

UFC president Dana White is on board for Round 3, telling Barstool Sports, "Yeah, we're gonna do that trilogy." 

Not so fast, Walter said. 

"Stipe proved his point against D.C.," Walter told Crain's. " There's no one on the UFC roster, especially in the heavyweight division, that can beat Stipe." 

Miocic's manager added that the fighter "would've beat D.C. the first time if he didn't poke him in the eye.  He beat him the second time, and he still got poked in the eye.  Francis Ngannou, I don't know how he's in even in the conversation.  The only challenge I see in the UFC is Stipe and Jon." 

The latter is a reference to Jon Jones, the UFC's light heavyweight champ. 

Jones is 25-1, with the lone defeat coming almost 10 years ago. 

The 32-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world, but he's also had his share of problems. 

Jones was stripped of his title in 2015 after he fled the scene of an accident.  He pled guilty to a felony charge and was placed on probation for 18 months. 

In 2017, Jones was suspended 15 months for a doping violation. 

He's won three times — the last two by decision — since returning to action on Dec. 29, 2018. 

A Miocic-Jones matchup would pit the top fighters in the UFC's top two divisions. 

Walter, though, mentioned another option: boxing. 

"Stipe fighting Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, those types of guys, is definitely an option in boxing," Walter said. " Stipe and Deontay were on 'Billions' together.  I think Stipe is a more technically sound boxer than Deontay, honestly." 

Wilder and Fury are two of boxing's top heavyweights. 

The 6-foot-7 Wilder, who will turn 34 on Oct. 22, is 41-0-1.  His lone draw was a much-disputed fight against Fury on Dec. 1. 

The 6-9 Fury, who is 29-0-1, is scheduled to get a rematch against Wilder on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas.  Fury, however, might need more time to recover after requiring 47 stitches to repair nasty cuts he sustained above his right eye in a September win over Otto Wallin. 

Miocic making the move to boxing, as enticing as it sounds, doesn't seem as likely as a rematch against Cormier or a bout against Jones that would be highly anticipated. 

The Eastlake North High School graduate, Walter said, "is the type of guy who always wants to challenge himself and grow.  He's super excited to go out there and fight." 

And Miocic-Cormier 3 is far from out of the question. 

"I wouldn't rule out the trilogy completely," Walter said. " It's possible." 

But, the manager added, "Stipe wants to grow.  He wants new challenges, and there's no point in circling back to challenges and goals that we've already checked the box on." 

That could be posturing to get a better deal for a fighter who's had his share of battles with White and the UFC.  Miocic wisely waited out a rematch against Cormier that he felt he deserved, and his patience was rewarded in August. 

Or it could be that Miocic, at 37, really wants to face some new blood.  If so, one possibility really stands out. 

"The most interesting fight is Jon Jones," Walter said. " That's definitely a possibility." 

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