Stipe Miocic Put an End to Speculation: 'I've been thinking about retirement since the first UFC fight ...'

Stipe Miocic Put an End to Speculation: ‘I’ve been thinking about retirement since the first UFC fight …’

If he keeps his word, Daniel Cormier, whatever the outcome, will retire to a well-deserved martial arts retirement this Sunday. On the other hand, one such outcome should not be seen with Stipe Miocic, although the champion admits that his pension is in his head โ€œafter every fightโ€.

To recall, sometime in mid-June, the worldโ€™s most famous MMA journalist Ariel Helwani stirred the waters when he fired that after the end of UFC 252, they could witness an unusual situation in which both fighters would announce the end of their careers at the same time.

Stipe is also nearing the end. He doesnโ€™t talk much about it, but I believe heโ€™s nearing the end. Will he retire if he loses or will he win and say โ€“ โ€˜Iโ€™m done, I have nothing more to prove?โ€™ Because the next in line should be Francis Ngannou, and heโ€™s already beaten himโ€ฆ This is not only a great trilogy, here we may be watching the two of them for the last time. And that doesnโ€™t usually happen in title fights,โ€ Helwani said two months ago.

Stipe kept his fans in suspense for a long time, but then this very topic was thrown at him at a press conference on Friday.

โ€œAfter every fight, I think about retirement. Ever since the first fight at UFC 136, Iโ€™ve been thinking about retirement,โ€ the popular Ohio firefighter revealed.

โ€œI love what Iโ€™m doing, and the minute it stops being fun and everything starts to look like work, then Iโ€™ll retire. But right now Iโ€™m good and Iโ€™m happy. Behind me is a great prep camp, especially when we consider quarantine and all thatโ€™s going on around the pandemic. Really, I feel great.โ€

The 37-year-old American with Croatian roots has not revealed how long he would like to fight and he is not sure that as a fighter he will live to see the years of his next opponent.

โ€œWeโ€™ll see how long I can push. I donโ€™t know if it will be until Iโ€™m 40. Blessed be DC, but I donโ€™t know if thatโ€™s going to be the case with me. But Iโ€™ll stay here for a while.โ€

And what follows after Cormier, who could be his next opponent? Stipe did not want to play a โ€˜matchmakerโ€™ on this occasion and made it clear that the decision would be made by the UFC.

โ€œThere are a lot of characters. (Francis) Ngannou looks great, (Curtis) Blaydes, โ€ฆ I donโ€™t know. Itโ€™s going to be the way the UFC wants it, and itโ€™s up to me to fight. Iโ€™m not a matchmaker and my focus is on this. Thatโ€™s all I care about. A lot of good fighters are coming and itโ€™s great to see the category get stronger and stronger,โ€ Miocic concluded.

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