May 27, 2021 - Stipe Miočić revealed to Croatian Sports that he wouldn't mind having the UFC title fight at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Legendary UFC fighter Stipe Miočić is not giving up on his career and hopes to return the UFC champion belt he lost against Francis Ngannou.

As UFC boss Dana White recently hinted, Miočić should soon be in the ring against the winner of the Francis Ngannou - Derrick Lewis fight. 

Gol.hr reports that Miočić recently interviewed with Croatian Sports, a Croatian media portal in the United States, and revealed that he should soon arrive in Croatia soon and wishes to fight at Poljud.

"Oh yeah, that would be amazing. I love that Croatian fan mentality, Croatia is a perfect country… I am for the fight in Croatia, at Poljud, let's do it," said Miočić for Croatian Sports.

Journalist Ante Kvartuč asked Miočić if he had watched his beloved Hajduk live. Recall, Miočić was at Poljud during his last visit to Croatia and often pointed out that he was a fan of the famous Split club.

"No, I'm more of a guy who follows the national team," Stipe said honestly.

Croatia has Cro Cop, bronze and silver at the football World Cup, Goran Ivanišević, Marin Čilić, water polo players, basketball players… What do they have to achieve such great success?

"It can't be explained; it's all up to the mentality. You get into something, and you don't go out without achieving something," explains Miočić.

Back in March, and for the second time in his career, Stipe Miočić lost the UFC heavyweight title. Stipe suffered a heavy defeat in the fight for the UFC title in a rematch against Francis Ngannou. The Cameroonian defeated Miočić with a brutal knockout at the beginning of the second round. 

UFC president Dana White recently said that Miočić would fight the winner of Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis, a highly anticipated fight that should be held this August. Miočić said he is only waiting for the contract to make it real. 

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March 28, 2021 - For the second time in his career, Stipe Miocic loses the UFC heavyweight title, this time after a brutal knockout by Francis Ngannou.

Stipe Miocic suffered a heavy defeat in the fight for the UFC title in a rematch against Francis Ngannou. The Cameroonian defeated Miocic with a brutal knockout at the beginning of the second round. 

Stipe shut down as the blow landed straight on his chin. Ngannou wanted to make sure he was the new champion and threw himself at Stipe, hitting him once more before Herb Dean interrupted the fight. 

It was a very weak showing by Miocic, who fired only a few punches in just under six minutes. Ngannou was dominant from the first to the last second of the fight, while Miocic was passive - and the fact that he did not fire a single hit in the first round speaks volumes.

Francis Ngannou deservedly won the UFC title. He adjusted his style and tactics, responded to Miocic's strength in their first fight, and used his greatest qualities in the best way. 

So, what does this mean for Stipe? 

Stipe Miocic has defended the heavyweight belt four times and lost it twice so far - but will he have time to win it back?

At 38 years old, Stipe does not have too much time left to achieve great things in his career. He has already shown why he was called the best UFC heavyweight in history, and there is no need to prove himself. If he had beaten Ngannou at UFC 260, another fight would have awaited him, a super-fight against Jon Jones.

After the fight, Ngannou himself expressed his desire to fight Jon Jones, which could be the best-selling UFC fight in history. Stipe will still have to wait for the winner of that duel for his superfight, be it a trilogy with Ngannou or a coveted match with Jones for the best in history.

The only chance to see Stipe with Jones first is for Dana White to give a chance to Derrick Lewis, who had already beaten Ngannou right after Miocic in 2018.

We’ll see if Stipe, meanwhile, accepts a fight against someone other than Ngannou or Jones. It is increasingly likely that the legendary fighter will wait until the end of this year or 2022 for another last chance for immortality.

Stipe will be remembered as one of the greatest, no matter how he ended his career, and to the Croatian fans, along with the legendary Cro Cop, there is no better fighter.

Source: Gol.hr

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March 26, 2021 - Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou will meet for the first time in 3.5 years at the UFC 260 in Las Vegas. 

Gol.hr reports that a few days before the UFC 260 kicks off in Las Vegas this weekend, Croatian-American Stipe Miocic and Cameroonian Francis Ngannou met ahead of the highly anticipated rematch, one that'll go down in UFC history. A press conference on Thursday, followed by an official staredown. 

Recall, three and a half years ago, Ngannou climbed on stage, looked at Stipe, and turned both fingers down, saying “you’re done” to the Croatian-American MMA artist. He was smiling, conceited, and confident.

Stipe destroyed him in January 2018 in 25 minutes of fighting. He defended his belt record for the third time and entered UFC history as the best of all time. He later confirmed this with a victory against Daniel Cormier in the great trilogy.

This time, Ngannou did not make any gestures and was very humble instead. He is aware that he has to change something in his approach in order to have a better chance against Miocic, starting with realizing that he is facing the greatest heavyweight in the history of freestyle wrestling.

"Of course I won't take anything away from the victory that Stipe achieved three years ago. He was better that night, but when I look at the footage of that match, I don't recognize myself at all. Not even the way I fought, the way I attacked him. That guy looked like me, but I didn't recognize him," Ngannou said.

"I also made a lot of mistakes entering that match. I wasn't present. I didn't have emotions in that match. This time everything will be different. I had enough time for my team and me to prepare. I think what we have prepared will work,” said Francis, who believes he has made a lot of progress compared to the first match.

"I have always wanted to fight Stipe again. He showed that he was a better fighter then, and I just want to avenge that defeat and prove that I am the best," the Cameroonian concluded.

Stipe is the current champion, the most successful in UFC history, and as such is considered by many to be the best heavyweight to have ever stepped into the sport.

“That means I’m doing something with the coaches and the team right,” Stipe said, revealing what he thinks of the newer version of Ngannou.

"He has definitely gotten better. I knew we would meet again someday. A tough fight awaits us," Stipe said.

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June 11, 2020 - Daniel Cormier has announced that he will retire after the trilogy fight with Stipe Miocic this August.

Gol.hr reports that the official date of the trilogy between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier has officially been announced, sending martial arts fans around the world into a frenzy. The fight is scheduled for August 15 at the UFC 252 spectacle, which will almost certainly take place in the U.S., and not on the islet of Abu Dhabi, where the UFC will hold as many as four events in July in just two weeks. 

Thus, the final act of the trilogy between the Croatian American, the most successful heavyweight in the history of the UFC, and the great man from Louisiana, who has already announced that it will be his farewell fight, awaits us. A year after he almost retired, Miocic now really has the chance to send Cormier into retirement. 

"Stipe turned out to be fair, just as Cormier was fair to him and gave him a chance to fight back and return the title. Cormier also deserved that third match, but we are all waiting for Stipe to confirm the victory over Cormier," said Igor Pokrajac for Gol.

Stipe is rarely available to the media, so is the case now. However, Cormier already announced a knockout, but also that this will definitely be his last fight, in the show with the famous martial arts journalist Ariel Helwani.

"I love being a fighter, I love doing it, but I also love being a commentator. I like what my life looks like after my martial arts career, but I still have unfinished business. It sounds like Stipe wants to silence me so I finally have a chance to silence him. I will not do any more fights after this one. I will ride away with the sunset, I am ready to go," explained the great from Louisiana.

Regardless of the fourth round, knockout and champion mentality, Stipe suffered great damage in the first two rounds of the last fight against Cormier. He received 180 blows in the fight and eye damage, which resulted in a long recovery.

By the end of July, the UFC is preparing as many as seven shows. There is no doubt that the summer overture to probably the greatest heavyweight trilogy will also be filled with great fights.

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May 25, 2020 - Stipe Miocic and his team are currently negotiating his return to the octagon with the UFC.

Gol.hr reports that in an interview with MMA Fighting, Stipe Miocic confirmed his return to the octagon, despite constant rumors that he could retire due to an eye injury he suffered in the fight against Daniel Cormier. Stipe is determined to return to the octagon by the end of the year and doesn’t care much about what others think and say about him.

"There is no doubt that I will fight by the end of this year. That is 100 percent certain," Miocic said.

The coronavirus pandemic is currently holding back the UFC champion of Croatian roots from returning to training and preparing to defend another title. The state of Ohio where he lives is still in quarantine and training is not allowed. Despite this, many heavyweights complain that Stipe is holding back the heavyweight division and that he should soon fight or relinquish his championship belt.

"I don't know what people want from me. Everyone says I am holding up the division, but I don't know how? Everyone who can train normally, great for you, but I live in another state with different rules. My coach has closed the gym and there is no training as long as this lasts. That’s why everyone should shut up because they’re idiots," the UFC heavyweight champion said sharply.

Stipe also commented on the words of his rival Cormier, who suggested that he build a training center at home.

"I don't care what he thinks. I've never cared about that. Honestly, this guy is contradictory every now and then. In his opinion, I'm not a champion. Everyone now has something to say: 'Defend the title or leave it.' I don't care at all right now. Stop crying."

Stipe also confirmed that he is in talks with the UFC and that they are looking for an optimal date for him to return.

"I want to get back as soon as possible. I'm not trying to getaway. I want to fight. I'm going to fight five rounds for the title against a very good fighter and I want to be ready. We're talking to the UFC and looking for the best possible date to return to the octagon," Stipe said.

Recall, Stipe regained the title in August last year after losing it to Cormier a year earlier. A year of inactivity could cost him his belt, but we believe the UFC won’t decide on such a drastic move against the most successful heavyweight champion in the organization’s history.

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May 1, 2020 — UFC champion Stipe Miocic, arguably the Croatian diaspora's most famous son, is ready to get back in the ring. The 37-year-old heavyweight champion told the Associated Press he's continued recovering from eye surgery while also working as a firefighter and paramedic during the coronavirus outbreak.

Ultimate Fighting has sought a way back into action during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reportedly ditched early plans to bypass government measures by holding fights on tribal land in California.

Its latest competition, UFC 249, is slated for May 9 in Jacksonville, Fla. at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. It makes Ultimate Fighting one of the first televised sports to return since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. No spectators will be allowed at the event.

Miocic is happy to see his sport return, as long as it doesn't lead to health problems.

“As long as everyone is safe, I hope it works out,” Miocic told the AP. “And not just the fighters, I worry about everyone’s safety. It takes one person to (infect) three people, and how fast it can spread, it’s crazy.”

 Miocic regained the UFC heavyweight title last August, beating Daniel Cormier at UFC 241. He's still recovering from a torn retina, which was surgically repaired after Cormier poked him in the eye.

Since then, Miocic has returned to civilian life, working for Ohio's Valley View Fire Department. He has teamed up with Modelo beer for a Cinco de Mayo fundraiser using the hashtag #CincUp.

The charismatic Miocic has been unabashedly loving towards his Croatian fans.

"You know, not every fighter has the luxury of me to be cheered on at the other end of the world by a whole country where he was not born," he told Index.hr in an interview. "But I feel like a Croat, and I'm proud of my roots. I get a lot of support messages from Croatia, and it's a really wonderful feeling."

The health precautions he takes on a daily basis mirror everyone else's, except they are already part of the job.

 “We’re smart. We’re clean. We’re masked," he said. "We wear goggles, gloves, and gowns when we have to. It’s our routine, so I’m not really worried about that.”

The heavyweight's workouts also changed. Because of the outbreak, his usual routine's a no-go, joking instead he stays fit by chasing his little daughter.

A rematch of the Miocic-Cormier bout has been teased, but not officially announced.

Until then, Miocic has found a new hobby — telling the AP he finds joy in removing wallpaper.

"I'm good at bringing things down," he said.

March 10, 2020 - In an interview with TMZ Sports, Stipe Miocic confirmed that he is very close to returning to the ring, after there has been much speculation of his retirement.

There has been a lot of talk in recent months that UFC Champion Stipe Miocic may be forced to retire due to an eye problem resulting from his last fight against Daniel Cormier. Recall that in the big rematch last summer, Miocic gained revenge and regained the title, though there were consequences, and he did have to undergo surgery.

Miocic has not been allowed to do any sparring in training for half a year to recover from his operation. However, in an interview with TMZ Sports, Stipe revealed that he is on the verge of returning to proper training in the gym and thus into the octagon for a trilogy fight against Daniel Cormier.

"The eye is actually really good. It's recovering and it's getting better every day. I'll be back in training," Stipe said, revealing when he could return to the ring.

"Probably in the summer. A lot of stuff has already booked until then, so I'll probably be back then."

He also confirmed that the UFC will decide his rival, and organization president Dana White has said several times that a trilogy match is on the horizon. It could be Daniel Cormier’s last fight of his career.

"He will lose again," Stipe said.

UFC 249 and 250 already have two major fights of the evening, three of which are for the title, so it makes sense to see Stipe the earliest at UFC 252 or even 253. UFC 251 is in Perth and takes place on June 6, 2020.

Thus, the Miocic and Cormier trilogy fight could be held on the night of July 11-12, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

You can watch the video on TMZ here.

Source: Gol.hr

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February 9, 2020 - Will there be a trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier? UFC president Dana White weighs in.

In an interview with ESPN, Dana White revealed that the UFC is only waiting for Stipe Miocic to set up the third fight against Daniel Cormier.

"It's very clear. Miocic is hurt. When he's not, we'll make the fight. You saw Cormier basically come out and say, 'Stipe has the ability to retire me. If he doesn't take this fight, I'm going to retire.' We'll see how this thing plays out," White said.

Current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic recently received a medical license to return to training, but the status of his injured eye is still not ideal.

Last August, Miocic avenged Cormier for the July 2018 defeat, returning the heavyweight title to his name. The roles have now reversed, and it is Daniel Cormier who is looking for a rematch.

"I have offered him other fights," White said of Cormier. "But he feels Stipe is the fight he can get up for. That's what he wants. And he doesn't want anyone else. I can't make him fight anyone else. He needs to do it. I'd like to see that fight happen," the UFC president added.

Current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones also recently stated that he "really wants to fight Stipe Miocic and that he is convinced that he can beat him."

"I would love to see it.  I would love to see him go on and take on Stipe or any of the top five guys in the heavyweight division. That's up to him. He can stay at light heavyweight and keep knocking them down and creating this incredible legacy, basically being the Tom Brady of the UFC."

UFC circles have often mentioned a ‘trilogy fight’ between Miocic and Cormier, which would determine the true winner once and for all. But is that really what the people want? 

Stipe Miocic hit the streets of New York for The Players’ Tribune to find out more last month. 

In the video, fans mention the obvoius Cormier,  two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, and Irish Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor. How likely the latter is, we aren't so sure.

Miocic has been given medical clearance for his eye injury and even said he resumed sparring last month.

“I’m better – a lot better. It’s healed up. I’m taking my time with it because I’m 37, so I don’t want to injure it again. I want to be able to see out of both eyes when I get older. That’s all I really care about right now. I love fighting, but my health is more important.

I’ve been trying to spar a little bit. It’s been rough because I’ve not sparred in over five months. The guys that I take it out on would take it out on me. It’s not been fun. I’m thinking about that in the back of my mind,” Miocic said on MMA Junkie. 

So, will Miocic face Cormier next?

“Not right now. I just got cleared. I’m taking my time getting back into the swing of things. We’ll figure it out and see what happens,” the fighter concluded. 

Stipe Miocic is often regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the MMA, is a two-time and current UFC Heavyweight Champion, and was the first fighter to win three straight UFC heavyweight title defenses. 

Will there be a trilogy fight between Miocic and Cormier? Only time will tell. 

Furthermore, after the highly anticipated Tyson Fury/Deontay Wilder fight on February 22, 2020, Stipe Miocic announced that he wanted to fight the new WBC heavyweight titleholder. Namely, Miocic addressed the 'Gypsy King' in a Twitter post after the fight, expressing that he wanted to jump in the ring with Fury, too. 

"Congrats Tyson Fury. I'd love to sing Sweet Caroline in the ring. Let's do this," Miocic said. 

This comes after Fury expressed his desire to fight Miocic for ESPN back in November. 

"Stipe says he wants to box me -- that would be a good fight for sure," Fury said through management company MTK Global. "After I get [Deontay] Wilder out of the way, I'll fight Stipe in a boxing match if he wants it. It would be a big crossover fight like [Floyd] Mayweather and [Conor] McGregor. I'm open to that fight, so he should come and see me. It would be the same outcome for any of them. They'll all get smashed."

Miocic also said he was more interested in a boxing match with Fury than a third fight with Daniel Cormier. 

"Tyson Fury is coming in the mix now, I hear. I like a new challenge. I'd love to box him. He's a great fighter. He's a good dude, and I think we'd put on a good show."

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November 4, 2019 - The promotion of the UFC 241 heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was held at the Croatian-Italian Play Sports Bar in New York on Saturday, November 2, 2019.

Stipe Miocic was born in Independence, Ohio, on August 19, 1982. Stipe is an American of Croatian descent, from Rtina, where his father lives. He works as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. He competes in the UFC heavyweight category as a mixed martial arts fighter. Defending the title in August this year in Anaheim, California, he became the greatest UFC heavyweight in MMA history.

Among numerous fans from the sports world, the promotion was attended by many Croatian fans and members of the Croatian World Congress. American Croats from the HSK USA thanked Miocic for promoting Croatia. HSK NY member Ane Strazicic Rodriguez invited him on behalf of HSK USA and Team USA to the Croatian World Games Zagreb 2020 to support the Team USA and be their special guest. As a representative of the island of Mljet, she also gave him several tickets on behalf of the National Park Mljet and invited him to visit the NP Mljet and Dubrovnik region with his family.

Thanking for the invitations, Miocic said that he is proud of his Croatian roots and hardly wait to revisit Croatia.

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August 21, 2019 - After overcoming Daniel Cormier in a fierce battle over the weekend, Stipe Miocic became the greatest heavyweight in the history of the UFC. 

One day after he celebrated his 37th birthday in the best possible way, in the small Cleveland family circle of UFC champions, Croatian-American MMA fighter Stipe Miocic addressed his fans on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

I’ve achieved my goals through hard work. My entire life I’ve been put to the test. It’s easy to shout out the success, but this is what it really looks like... I am a 5X WORLD CHAMPION, firefighter, husband, father, and everything else I’ve worked so hard for my entire life bc I always keep my fighting spirit. I will never be outworked. Never stop moving forward. I still have a lot more to accomplish. #SM #ChampionBlood #OneMoreForTheLand

A post shared by Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) on Aug 19, 2019 at 10:05pm PDT

“I’ve achieved my goals through hard work. My entire life I’ve been put to the test. It’s easy to shout out the success, but this is what it really looks like... I am a 5X WORLD CHAMPION, firefighter, husband, father, and everything else I’ve worked so hard for my entire life bc I always keep my fighting spirit. I will never be outworked. Never stop moving forward. I still have a lot more to accomplish. #SM #ChampionBlood #OneMoreForTheLand”

On August 19, two days after his fight against Daniel Cormier, Miocic welcomed a new age - 37.

View this post on Instagram

Back in The Land! Thank you to my family, friends and fans for both the victory and birthday wishes. I wouldn’t be here without your support. I am truly blessed and grateful. LET’S GO!!! #SM #AndNew #Again #5X

A post shared by Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) on Aug 19, 2019 at 12:46pm PDT

“Back in The Land! Thank you to my family, friends and fans for both the victory and birthday wishes. I wouldn’t be here without your support. I am truly blessed and grateful. LET’S GO!!! #SM #AndNew#Again #5X”

Recall, the then 36-year-old defeated 40-year-old American Daniel Cormier by a knockout in the fourth round of the UFC 241 fight held in Anaheim, California. Stipe thus won sweet revenge on Cormier and brought back the UFC Heavyweight Champion title to Ohio after he lost it to Cormier in Las Vegas 13 months ago.

The fight between Miocic and Cormier lasted more than 19 minutes, in which the title defender had more significant blows (123-98).

Although Stipe received almost twice as many blows by the fourth round, and most of them in the head, he did not kneel and refused to give up against the world champion. 

In the fourth of grueling combat, Miocic changed his tactics and began to use more blows to the body of his rival. At the beginning of the fifth minute of the fourth round, Miocic hit Cormier with a hook, which was followed by another body shot that visibly weakened the American fighter. Miocic then punched at the liver, pushed Cormier to the fence, and stunned him with a hit to the head and several punches at the left and right for a brutal knockout to end the fight. 

Miocic thus won $750,000 for the win and another $50,000 for the performance. Cormier, on the other hand, received $500,000 to fight Miocic.

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