Stipe Miocic is an all-time great fighter. The former two-time UFC Heavyweight champion is considered to be among the greatest Heavyweights of all time. Prior to his MMA career, Miocic was a former Golden Gloves boxing champion and NCAA Division I, wrestler, at Cleveland State University.
This successful career just earned Stipe a spot in the “International Sports Hall of Fame”, a nonprofit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor the world’s greatest athlete legends in all categories of sports.
Other MMA fighters like Ronda Rousey, Bas Rutten, Royce Gracie, and Randy Couture have also been nominated in the past.
Honored to have been inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 this past weekend. I am grateful to have been included in such an extraordinary group.
A big thank you to @RobertGoldmanMD for an amazing weekend! #ISHOF #ArnoldSports pic.twitter.com/FISurkrqzb
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) March 9, 2022
After losing the title to Francis Ngannou in UFC 260, fans are expecting Miocic’s return to the Octagon.
Heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa has been campaigning for a fight against the MMA legend.
“I just think that that’s the fight,” Tuivasa told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “He’s in front of me, yeah? I think that’s who I’d like to fight. I was asked who I’d like to fight and I think that’s who I’d like to fight because he’s been around, he’s older, and I don’t think he’ll have many more left. I’d like to have a crack at him before he goes.”
With such an accomplished career, it’s crazy to think that MMA is just Miocic’s “side-gig”. Stipe works as a full-time firefighter paramedic in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. When asked by Joe Rogan why he still works as a firefighter despite being a UFC champion, he stated that he “needs something to fall back to after his fighting career is over”.
During the nomination event, Stipe met movie star and former California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold praised Stipe’s fighting style and told him how much of a fan of him he is.
“All I tell you, I love watching your fights. Oh man, you have been so fantastic. Entertaining me for years… Oh man, it’s unbelievable, it’s so good, so targeted. It’s still effective for me, is like I was always in awe,” said Schwarzenegger.”
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An official return has not been announced yet. For a long time there were rumors regarding Miocic welcoming the Jon Jones to the heavy weight division –