Stipe Miocic

2.1. Childhood and Family

Stipe Miocic was born and raised in Euclid, Ohio, on August 19, 1982. He is the son of Croatian immigrants, Kathy and Bojan Miocic (Miočić^Croatian). His father originates from Rtina, while his mother is from Cetingrad, Croatia. His parents separated when he was a child, and he continued to live with his mother, initially with his grandparents, and later with his stepfather and younger half-brother, Jonathan. From a young age, his mother encouraged his involvement in sports.

2.2. Educational and Early Sports Career

Miocic's athletic prowess was evident early in his life. He played baseball, American football, and wrestled while attending Eastlake North High School. His skills attracted interest from Major League Baseball teams during his collegiate years at Cleveland State University and Trevecca Nazarene University. He also played NCAA Division II baseball at Coker College in his junior year. As a member of Jeff Forehand's baseball team at Trevecca Nazarene, he achieved a batting average of .344 with seven home runs in his senior year, contributing to the Trojans' victory in both the 2005 TranSouth Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. He graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University, having majored in marketing and communications at Cleveland State University. While wrestling in the 197-pound weight class for the Cleveland State Vikings, Miocic competed in the 2003 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Kansas City.

His introduction to mixed martial arts began in 2005 when he was invited to be a training partner for wrestling with Dan Bobish at Strong Style MMA Training Centre in Independence, Ohio. After completing his paramedic education at Cuyahoga Community College, Miocic returned to train at the center. Initially, he trained in mixed martial arts but soon transitioned to boxing. His coach, Marcus Marinelli, noted that Miocic, despite training for only a few months, was defeating boxers with significantly more experience. This early exposure to boxing led him to amateur boxing bouts, where he won the Cleveland Golden Gloves championship. He advanced to the national competition, winning his first two bouts in the quarter-finals before being eliminated by a decision loss to future world title contender Bryant Jennings. His amateur Golden Gloves boxing record stands at 4 wins and 1 loss, with 2 victories by knockout.

3.1. Early Professional Career

With a background as a Cleveland Golden Gloves boxing champion and an NCAA Division I wrestler, Miocic began his professional MMA career after only eight months of dedicated training. He quickly achieved an amateur record of 5 wins and 0 losses, with all five victories coming by first-round stoppage. In his professional debut on February 20, 2010, he secured a victory, and he continued to win his first six professional fights by knockout or technical knockout in smaller promotions. He primarily fought for NAAFS, an Ohio-based MMA promotion, where he ultimately won the NAAFS Heavyweight Championship on June 4, 2011, by defeating Bobby Brents via TKO due to submission to leg kicks in the second round.

3.2. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

On June 14, 2011, Miocic signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC, marking the beginning of his journey in the world's premier mixed martial arts organization.

3.2.2. First Heavyweight Championship Reign

Miocic finally faced Fabrício Werdum at UFC 198 on May 14, 2016. He claimed the UFC Heavyweight Championship by knocking Werdum out with a short right hook counter in the first round, as Werdum was backpedaling from a flurry of punches. This victory marked Werdum's first defeat since June 2011 and earned Miocic a "Performance of the Night" bonus.

His first title defense took place on September 10, 2016, at UFC 203 in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, against Alistair Overeem. Despite being knocked down early in the fight, Miocic quickly recovered and won via knockout in the first round. Both participants were awarded "Fight of the Night" honors for their thrilling brawl.

Miocic made his second title defense in a rematch against Junior dos Santos on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211. Dos Santos had previously defeated Miocic by a close unanimous decision in 2014. This time, Miocic started strong, taking control of the octagon early. Despite absorbing hard kicks to the shin, he landed powerful punches with devastating accuracy, dropping Dos Santos. He then followed up with ground and pound to win the fight via TKO midway through the first round. This victory also earned Miocic his fourth "Performance of the Night" bonus award and avenged his earlier loss.

For his third title defense, Miocic faced Francis Ngannou on January 20, 2018, at UFC 220. The fight was highly anticipated, and Miocic openly expressed feeling disrespected by the UFC, believing he did not receive the same level of promotion and support as Ngannou. Miocic dominated Ngannou for five rounds, utilizing a combination of striking with clinch and ground control following takedowns. He won by unanimous decision (all three judges scoring it 50-44), breaking the record for most consecutive title defenses for the heavyweight championship with his third successful defense. After being announced as the winner, in an unusual gesture, he took the belt from UFC President Dana White and had his coach, Marcus Marinelli, put it around him. Following this historic win, Miocic received congratulations from both the President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, and the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković.

5.1. Family Life

Miocic married Ryan Marie Carney on June 18, 2016, at the Divine Word Catholic Church in Kirtland, Ohio. On January 20, 2018, he announced that the couple was expecting their first child, and their daughter, Meelah, was born later that year. They welcomed their second child, a son named Mateo Cruz, on August 28, 2021, an announcement made by UFC announcer Bruce Buffer on Miocic's Instagram. On November 22, 2022, Miocic shared the news of his father's passing.

5.2. Other Professional Roles

In addition to his career as a mixed martial artist, Miocic works as a firefighter and paramedic. He transitioned to full-time status in 2022 after many years of part-time work, serving in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. Miocic has stated that his decision to become full-time was influenced by the need for long-term health care and insurance coverage for his family. When questioned by Joe Rogan about continuing his firefighter role despite being a UFC champion, Miocic emphasized his love for the job, his enjoyment of helping people, and his desire to have a fallback career after his fighting days conclude. He has consistently stated that he never considered leaving his public service role.

5.3. Interests and Public Persona

Outside of fighting, Miocic maintains several interests. He enjoys watching baseball and interacting with baseball athletes, a nod to his own youth and a sport he continues to favor. He is known for his friendship with rapper Machine Gun Kelly, whose hit song "Till I Die" serves as Miocic's walkout music. Machine Gun Kelly has attended several of Miocic's fights, including UFC 220, UFC 226, and UFC 260, and they share a close personal bond. Miocic also has the Chinese characters "強力型戦闘隊" (Strong Style Fight Team), a direct translation of his gym's name, tattooed on his back, a design shared by several other fighters from his team. Miocic's public image is characterized by his humble demeanor and dedication to his dual careers.

7.1. Mixed Martial Arts Achievements

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Heavyweight Championship (Two times)
    • Four successful title defenses overall
    • Three successful title defenses in his first reign
      • Most consecutive title defenses in UFC Heavyweight division history (3)
    • One successful title defense in his second reign
    • Most combined total defenses in UFC Heavyweight division history (4)
    • Tied (Randy Couture) for most wins in UFC Heavyweight title fights (6)
    • Most finishes in UFC heavyweight title fights (4)
    • Most knockouts in UFC heavyweight title fights (4)
• North American Allied Fight Series
  • NAAFS Heavyweight Champion (One time)
• Fight Matrix
  • Two-time MMA Heavyweight Lineal Champion

7.2. UFC Records and Awards

• UFC Bonus Awards
  • Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Stefan Struve, Junior dos Santos 1, and Alistair Overeem
  • Performance of the Night (Five times) vs. Fábio Maldonado, Andrei Arlovski, Fabrício Werdum, Junior dos Santos 2, and Daniel Cormier 2
  • Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Philip De Fries
  • Most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Heavyweight division history (9)
• UFC Statistical Records
  • Most head strikes landed in a fight (330) vs. Mark Hunt
  • Set UFC record for most strikes landed in a fight and largest strike margin (361 total strikes, outlanding Hunt 361-48) vs. Mark Hunt
  • Fourth most significant strikes landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (1007)
  • Third most total strikes landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (1579)
  • Tied for fourth most consecutive knockouts in UFC history (5)
• UFC Honors Awards
  • 2019: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Winner vs. Daniel Cormier 2
• UFC.com Awards
  • 2013: Ranked #4 Upset of the Year vs. Roy Nelson
  • 2014: Ranked #3 Fight of the Year vs. Junior dos Santos 1
  • 2016: Ranked #2 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016: Ranked #5 Knockout of the Year vs. Fabrício Werdum

7.3. Other Honors

• MMAJunkie.com
  • 2014 December Fight of the Month vs. Junior dos Santos
  • 2019 Comeback Fighter of the Year
• Sherdog
  • 2015 Beatdown of the Year vs. Mark Hunt
• MMADNA.nl
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
• World MMA Awards
  • 2019 - July 2020 Comeback of the Year vs. Daniel Cormier at UFC 241
• Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Professional Athlete of the Year (2019)
• International Sports Hall of Fame (class of 2022)

10.1. Impact and Historical Significance

Miocic is widely regarded by fellow fighters and combat sports media as the "greatest heavyweight of all time." This recognition stems from his remarkable achievements, including holding the record for the most consecutive (three) and most combined (four) UFC Heavyweight title defenses, in addition to being a two-time champion. His consistent performance in a division historically known for short title reigns underscores his exceptional skill and durability. UFC President Dana White even suggested that the trilogy fight between Miocic and Daniel Cormier would determine the strongest heavyweight in MMA history, highlighting the significance of Miocic's position in the sport.

10.2. Criticisms and Controversies

While largely celebrated, Miocic's career also included moments of criticism and controversy. Prior to his fight against Francis Ngannou at UFC 220, Miocic publicly stated that he felt disrespected by the UFC, believing he did not receive the same level of promotional support as Ngannou. This sentiment was further underscored after his victory, when he notably took the championship belt from UFC President Dana White and instead had his coach, Marcus Marinelli, put it around him, signaling his dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of recognition.

His loss to Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in 2018 was also controversial, with Miocic's team and many fans pointing to repeated eye pokes by Cormier during the fight, the last occurring just seconds before the knockout. Following his title recapture from Cormier at UFC 241, Miocic was forced into a lengthy hiatus due to retinal damage from an eye poke sustained during that bout. Furthermore, the trilogy fight at UFC 252 also saw both fighters receive eye pokes, continuing a contentious theme in their rivalry. Despite these incidents, Miocic has maintained a focused and professional approach, contributing to his respected standing in the sport.