Even if you don't buy Stipe Miocic as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, you're missing the mark if you attempt to discredit him.
We rave about men like Max Holloway, who won the BMF title with a dramatic knockout of Justin Gaethje, and fought the baddest men at featherweight and lightweight, two of the deepest divisions of the UFC. He not only won most of the time but looked good in doing it.
For some reason, though, Miocic doesn't get that same consideration. Miocic had the misfortune of being 100 pounds or so bigger than Holloway, so he was forced to fight only heavyweights. And in the 30-plus-year history of MMA, heavyweight has by far been the thinnest division.
When you look closely at Miocic's record, it's pretty astounding. At 42, on Saturday he'll take on arguably his toughest test when he meets heavyweight champion Jon Jones for the belt in the main event of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Going back to May 13, 2017, Jones will represent the seventh consecutive opponent Miocic has faced who at one point in their careers held the UFC heavyweight title. Holloway, who may have fought more killers than anyone, has never done that.
Miocic is 6-3 in his career against men who have held the UFC heavyweight title.
| Vs Francis Ngannou | 1-1 |
| Vs Daniel Cormier | 2-1 |
| Vs Junior dos Santos | 1-1 |
| Vs Fabricio Werdum | 1-0 |
| Vs Andrei Arlovski | 1-0 |
He's a legit bad ass, and the amount of disrespect he's gotten heading into the Jones fight has been stunning to see. It's as if he's some out-of-shape banger fighting on the regional circuit, not one of the best athletes ever in the heavyweight division who is challenging Jones for the title.
Jones created a storm last week when he told me he would "most probably not" fight interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Fans from around the world took to calling Jones "a duck." It happened so much, Jones took to social media to address it.
Look, a lot of that is rooted in Miocic's inactivity. Miocic hasn't fought since getting knocked out by Francis Ngannou in the second round at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021. His last win came against Daniel Cormier on Aug. 15, 2020, at UFC 252. On top of that, his father, Bojan Miocic, died on Nov. 22, 2022, so he's been away from the sport and largely unheard from until now.
By contrast, since returning from a severe knee injury on July 22, 2023, Aspinall has won three consecutive bouts, against Marcin Tybura, Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes, in a combined three minutes, 22 seconds. He's the hot guy, he's got the interim title and he's been begging to fight Jones.
Miocic isn't that kind of person. He's a fun, easy-going guy who doesn't take himself too seriously and who laughs easily. He's just not looking to do media and doesn't care about enhancing his image.
When I interviewed him, I asked him if he still loved MMA, and his answer was telling.
"Honestly, I love what I do," Miocic said. "I always say, if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life. I love what I do. I love going to the gym. I love training with my guys, hanging out and talking with them. It's a family and that's what I love about it. It's been that way my whole life."
I suspected that is what he might say but I asked him because so many have dumped on him unnecessarily given the gap since he last fought.
The question is, can he summon his past greatness after having been away so long. Jones himself did it, but Jones is five years younger.
If Miocic is anything close to his peak, the main event that is being dogged as boring and uninteresting has a very real chance to be a dramatic, memorable affair.
Miocic is an elite athlete, and though he's not nearly as quick as Jones, he's a harder hitter and he has a wrestling background.
Though the betting line is dramatically tilted in Jones' direction -- At DraftKings sportsbook, Jones is -650 and Miocic is +470 -- there is a legitimate chance we hear Bruce Buffer say, "And new," if Miocic is anything close to his old form.
The prevailing wisdom is that Miocic will walk away after this, win or lose. I admittedly have felt that way. But when you hear him talk about his love for the sport, it makes you think. The retirement talk has come from everyone else, not Miocic. He's said he's focused on Jon Jones and not thinking ahead. Should he win, a rematch would be massively lucrative. So, too, would a fight with Aspinall.
So while he may be thinking of walking away and making plans for the future, he's not gone yet.
He's been one of the most exciting fighters of his era, so enjoy him while there's still time.
This is a guy who obliterated Alistair Overeem and knocked out Fabricio Werdum while backing up. He's the guy who landed an astounding 62 percent (113 of 180) in a TKO of Mark Hunt. While he lost to Ngannou in his last outing, he dominated him like a child in their first meeting.
Miocic is the real deal and it's best you -- and Jones -- remember that.