The closer we get to Saturday UFC 309 pay-per-view card at New York's Madison Square Garden, the less we seem to talk about the full-time firefighter and UFC legend who makes up half of the main event.
As Jon Jones seeks his first defense of his heavyweight title after returning to the Octagon after 20 months out due to a ruptured pectoral tendon, fight week narratives instead largely revolve around what Jones will do next if he wins and whether he will retire before then giving interim defending champion Tom Aspinall the chance to team up against him.
Luckily for Stipe Miocic (20-4), the winningest heavyweight champion in UFC history with four title defenses in two reigns, going underground is exactly where he wants to be.
“I’m too busy for that,” said Miocic said CBS Sports last week. “I work full time and have two kids and a wife who are crazy and amazing. There's always something going on. It's never-ending and I love every second of it, so I don't have time to sit around and hurt people's feelings on social media.”
The mild-mannered and hard-working Miocic will face Jones (27-1, 1 NC), the Ohio native's first appearance since losing his title to Francis Ngannou by brutal second-round knockout in their 2021 rematch. Miocic was originally scheduled to face Jones at UFC 295 in the same building last November, but the injury sidelined Jones and forced CEO Dana White to postpone the star-studded fight for a year.
The delay angered many fans who would have liked to see Jones return against Tom Aspinall (15-3), the UFC's interim heavyweight titleholder who has destroyed one top contender after another in Jones' absence.
While Miocic has heard some of the rhetoric from critics, including those who bring up the fact that he hasn't won a fight since 2020, he couldn't care less. Even considering how many fans brought up Miocic's age after seeing him enter a UFC arena as a fan earlier this year – Many pointed out that it looked like Miocic was limping – He could only laugh.
“I like silencing people,” Miocic said. “I'm doing well. I'm doing well. I feel great.”
Chris Weidman, a former UFC middleweight champion who will face Eryk Anders in a 185-pound bout on Saturday, said CBS Sports on Thursday that he believes the media gave his close friend Miocic a raw deal this week.
“Honestly, I think you should talk more about Stipe Miocic than Tom Aspinall,” Weidman said. “I feel like everyone is overlooking Stipe in this fight. If Stipe wins on Saturday night, it won’t even be a topic of conversation and I feel like Stipe will be treated very disrespectfully.”
“Jones will do what he wants to do at this point. I feel sorry for Aspinall, it's just a strange time to be champion when Jon Jones comes along and beats Cyril Gane like that. Tom Aspinall looked great and finished.” All these tough guys have this interim belt, but what does an interim belt mean he can't even fight for the real belt, but that's just how the UFC works and it's just weird timing him.”
After recently partnering with OnlyFans, Miocic gave his fans a glimpse into his training camp for this historic clash in an episode of OFTV's “Rise and Grind” that premiered on Tuesday.
Miocic further explained that he was never offered an interim title shot against Aspinall while recovering from Jones' injury, nor did he ever ask for one. For him, an inevitable return to the Octagon was always about fighting Jones and no one else.
“Patience is a virtue. That’s what I wanted and I’m glad I got it,” said Miocic. “I'm always the underdog and that's okay with me. I am a very competitive person and I love what I do. This is nothing new.” [being overlooked]I'm used to it now. I really don't care, I really don't care what other people think, and that's how I was raised. Nothing is ever given, it is earned. My mother and father always taught me to go out and get what's yours and never sit back and expect someone to give you something. I always thought that if you don't have a way, you have to find your way.
“They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but I’m definitely not that old and I’ve definitely learned a few new tricks. And I’ll leave the Octagon with the belt.”
