The duality of blended martial arts was on full show on the conclusion of UFC 309.
On one facet, you had Jon Jones relishing in a dominant championship victory. He created a viral second by dancing, celebrating with and being celebrated by the president-elect in probably the most well-known enviornment in fight sports activities historical past. On the opposite facet, there was Stipe Miocic. Slumped over within the nook of the cage, battered and dejected.
Nicely previous his combating prime at age 42, hadn’t competed in 3.5 years and hadn’t received in additional than 4, Miocic had simply been overwhelmed up by a youthful man who had been fabricating animosity in an try and soil Miocic’s fame and promote the battle all week — possibly Jones made it “private” as a contrived technique to get himself into battle mode?
The UFC doesn’t all the time interview each fighters following an consequence, however they usually do if the dropping fighter is a distinguished determine. Michael Chandler was given the prospect to make a few callouts after dropping the co-main occasion to Charles Oliveira within the battle instantly previous Jones vs. Miocic.
This yr, we noticed a fighter with a sub-.500 UFC document who had by no means competed for, not to mention received a UFC title, obtain a prearranged sendoff package deal after a loss to have fun their profession.
Maybe it wouldn’t’ve been becoming given the second and Miocic’s character — timing may’ve been a problem, too, given how the cardboard ended — however the revered former champion acquired no such remedy.
Joe Rogan merely requested the UFC document holder for many heavyweight title defences if he would battle once more after which thanked him when Miocic made it official that the UFC 309 major occasion was, in actual fact, his ultimate battle.
It solely required 10 phrases and some seconds.
“I’m carried out. I’m hanging ‘em up. I’m retiring. Thank God.”
It was a becoming farewell in some respects, given how little Miocic truly mentioned throughout his profession, but an altogether dissatisfying one on the identical time.
Certainly, Miocic will in the future be enshrined within the UFC Corridor of Fame, which can make up for the unlucky finish to his combating profession.
That’s to say, it doesn’t seem to be the group will wipe him from the annals of historical past the way in which they generally seem to do with Francis Ngannou’s achievements within the division.
Jones most well-liked to face Miocic reasonably than interim champion Tom Aspinall, who, from a meritocracy standpoint, is the one logical subsequent choice for Jones and would’ve been a greater choice than Miocic for Jones’s return from a year-and-a-half layoff.
“He’s had an unbelievable profession, and (the loss to Jones) doesn’t diminish who he was at heavyweight and what he’s completed right here,” Dana White mentioned of Miocic at his post-event press convention. “When you consider Stipe, he’s made some huge cash. He’s been a firefighter. He’ll retire along with his pension and all of the issues. Stipe’s going to have an awesome life.”
Hopefully, Miocic was nicely compensated for UFC 309 as a result of, for each nice champion like Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov who exit on prime and on their very own phrases, there are multitudes extra like Miocic whose careers conclude unsatisfactorily.
Of Miocic’s 5 losses in 25 professional bouts, 4 got here to UFC champions, three of whom Miocic additionally beat at one level. His ultimate two losses had been the TKO to Jones and a vicious knockout from Ngannou in 2021.
Miocic’s first professional loss, and the one one towards a fighter that by no means reached the highest of the mountain (though he may most likely see it from his vantage level), was seven-footer Stefan Struve in 2012.
Struve was in New York throughout UFC 309 battle week, and the retired UFC heavyweight was truly up with Jones at one level. Maybe the 36-year-old from the Netherlands gave the previous longtime light-heavyweight champion some tips about the way to land efficient punches on Miocic.
Jones, 37, principally had his method along with his opponent and harm Miocic a couple of occasions along with his fingers all through the battle earlier than touchdown his fight-ending spinning kick to the physique.
In an alternate actuality the place Miocic confronted Jones whereas nonetheless an energetic competitor, possibly he would’ve given a greater account of himself. In his prime, Miocic was a dogged competitor with well-rounded talent, and his six-fight successful streak that lasted three years continues to be among the many best streaks in heavyweight MMA historical past.
Miocic earned his first title shot by stopping Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovsk. He first received the title in 2016 when he knocked out Fabricio Werdum in Brazil, celebrating by hopping the cage and repeating, “I’m a world champ!” as he embraced his group. A improbable title change second.
The Euclid, Ohio native’s title defence over Alistair Overeem was a spotlight knockout in his dwelling state. His TKO win over Junior dos Santos avenged a earlier choice loss, and he was the primary fighter to beat Ngannou within the UFC earlier than dropping that rematch.
He misplaced his title to Daniel Cormier in 2018 earlier than successful it again in 2019 and cementing that rivalry with a trilogy bout victory in 2020. Miocic may’ve retired then and gone down the trail of GSP and Khabib, however as a substitute, we discover ourselves in a special spot in the present day.
Whereas it is perhaps tough for his fan base and those that respect what he completed and the way he carried out himself throughout his profession, the silver lining is that Miocic is constructed to deal with conditions and adversity much more critical than these involving ego or delight.
In all probability, a down-to-earth, blue-collar man like Miocic will, in a couple of weeks, be making self-deprecating jokes within the firehouse whereas being extra involved with what’s on the menu than the state of his MMA legacy.
This is to an awesome profession, Stipe.
