Stipe Miocic says he’s retiring after TKO loss at UFC 309

Stipe Miocic has decided to call it a career.

Following his third-round loss to Jon Jones at UFC 309 on Saturday night, Miocic announced his retirement from the sport, ending a remarkable career orchestrated by the fighter from Euclid, Ohio.

“I’m done,” Miocic said. “I’ll hang them up.”

Despite the loss, Miocic remains widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history.

“He’s one of the greatest heavyweights of all time,” UFC CEO Dana White told ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. “You can’t deny Stipe. Stipe is (No. 1 or No. 2) all the time.”

Miocic made his UFC debut in 2011 after going 6-0 on the regional stage and winning three straight before suffering a TKO loss to Stefan Struve in 2012. Miocic methodically worked his way back up the rankings with wins over Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabio Maldonado before suffering his second career loss to former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

The second setback set the stage for a historic heavyweight race.

After stoppage wins over Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski, Miocic earned a title shot against then-champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in 2016. Werdum was on a remarkable run of his own, going undefeated for nearly five years. But Miocic ended it with a first-round knockout to claim UFC gold.

Miocic reigned as champion for the next 784 days, making a trio of successful title defenses against Alistair Overeem, dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. To date, Miocic holds the UFC record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three.

He dropped the title to then-light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in 2018, and the two would engage in an epic trilogy. Miocic regained the title by knockout a year later at UFC 241 and won the rubber match at UFC 252 in 2020 with a decision that sent Cormier into retirement.

Now it’s Miocic’s time to say goodbye to a legendary career.

After losing his title in a rematch against Ngannou in 2021, Miocic stayed out of action for more than three years before stepping back into the Octagon one last time on Saturday against the man considered by most to be the greatest mixed martial artist ever.

This version of Miocic was very different from the one that dominated the heavyweight division. He was unsure of himself and a step slowly towards Jones. Miocic was taken down early in the first round and drilled with elbows for the majority of the round while pinned to the canvas. In the second round, Miocic struggled to put together any offense as Jones landed kicks to the body and left the former champion with a hard right hand.

Looking to put together a winning combination in the third round, Miocic resorted to chasing Jones around the Octagon. But he was met with a spinning back kick to the liver that put him down and out.

Miocic leaves with a handful of records in the UFC heavyweight division, including most combined title defenses (4), most finishes in title fights (4), most postfight bonuses (9) and tied with Randy Couture for most wins in title fights (6).

Perhaps as remarkable as his career as a mixed martial artist is his dedication to his community. Throughout his fighting tenure, Miocic has maintained a career as a firefighter and paramedic in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. The father of two will continue to work as a full-time firefighter.