With Daniel Cormier busy talking about Stipe Miocic’s supposed hurt feelings, and generally trying to get under his skin, the former champ thinks D.C. needs to get out of high school.
Anaheim, CA — It’s been over a year since Stipe Miocic lost the UFC heavyweight championship, knocked out out at the hands of Daniel Cormier at UFC 226. Over a year, and Miocic has not fought. With singular focus, one thing has been on the Ohio native’s mind: reclaiming the belt he defended three times, more than any other heavyweight champion in UFC history.
He was in good spirits this week at the UFC 241 open workouts, speaking to Cageside Press and other media outlets. “It’s good. It’s fight week. Trying to have a good time, I don’t want to be serious the whole time, because it’s going to ruin my mood, going to bring me down a little bit. I love what I do.”
His well-documented career as a firefighter has helped keep him grounded. “A hundred percent. The minute I lost that belt, three days later, they dropped the hammer on me. In the fire service, if they ain’t making fun of you, they don’t like you.”
Daniel Cormier, working out earlier in the day, spoke to reporters, bringing up Miocic’s feelings from time to time. The former champ had been holding out for a rematch, and his wife had made comments in a documentary that trash talk made things worse for the heavyweight.
Miocic, however, said Wednesday that “I have no feelings toward [Cormier].” Instead, he suggested that his opponent “needs to get out of high school and turn the page, honestly. I don’t know what his deal is about my feelings. I just wanted a rematch. The dude literally cried on national TV. But whatever.”
“I don’t know whether he’s trying to build himself up to get pissed off at me, make me into something I’m not,” he added. Later in the same press scrum, he stated that “I have more to worry about than him telling me I have feelings.”
“We’re here to fight, we’re not here to make friends,” the Strong Style team member noted. Speaking of gym, he joked that in terms of changes after the first fight, his coaches would be getting pink slips shortly. But more seriously, Miocic said, “we just sat back and let our mind rest and everything. Just kind of sat down, got a good game plan, worked on our weaknesses and worked on strengths, on his strengths. That’s pretty much what it was. That’s why I love our team. I could be like 0-100 and still never leave.”
As for Saturday’s rematch at UFC 241, it’s been a long time coming. And Miocic wasn’t sure it would. “Wasn’t certain. Honestly, I swear to god I had no idea. Like I said I’m a grown-ass man. If it wasn’t going to happen, it wasn’t going to happen. I’m not going to sit there and be like ‘my feelings, he hurt my feelings.’ No, I don’t care.” And yes, he eventually would have fought again either way. “There’s no question.”
As for a possible third fight with Cormier some day, if (and when, Miocic corrected), he wins? “I don’t know. We’ll see how his feelings feel,” he quipped.
Watch the full UFC 241 open workout press scrum with Stipe Miocic above!
