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Former 2x UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, will be attempting to recapture his belt by taking on the current champ, Jon Jones, at Madison Square Garden on November 11th. Before going to war next month, Miocic caught up with Bloody Elbow for an exclusive interview to discuss all things Stipe.
With his trilogy with the man who took his belt, Francis Ngannou, no longer on the table, Miocic expressed how this upcoming Jon Jones fight is much bigger. When it comes to winning his belt back for a historic third time, or being the first man to defeat Jones, we had to ask Stipe Miocic which one of those accomplishments would mean more to him.
Ngannou is scheduled to box Tyson Fury later this month, so we asked Stipe if he had any thoughts about crossing over himself. Somewhat surprisingly, he mentioned how he has already tried, but unfortunately failed. A
lso, since Stipe Miocic has scored a brand deal with Buffalo Wild Wings, we sought out some advice for up and coming fighters who are seeking big brand endorsements. Before the interview is all said and done, we inquire about which of his past heavyweight opponents hit the hardest. Check out the full interview below.
Stipe Miocic interview video
Pranking the wife
- Stipe, are you still prank calling your wife?
“Yeah, I just annoy her everyday haha. A little bit of everyone.”
Stipe Miocic’s new sponsorship deal
- You’ve always been someone who let your fighting do the talking for you. You’ve never had to talk trash, or anything. You show up, you do the thing, and people are like, whoa. And now you’re getting all these huge brand deals. You’re in the Modelo commercial, and now I see you’re sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings, which is also huge. How did that partnership come to be?
“It just worked out. They have that Blazin’ KO sauce, and I like to KO people, so what’s a better fit?”
- Have you ever tried B-Dub’s Blazin’ challenge? I tried it once and it definitely was a challenge.
“It was pretty much bad the whole time for me because I just, I’m terrible with hot stuff. It was tingling the whole time and it was rough.”
Advice to score brand deals
- What’s your advice for up and coming fighters on how to score these these kind of brand deals?
“Just be a good person. I think just be marketable, I guess you would say. Have faith, and keep fighting, and keep winning, and enjoy the process.”
Jon Jones instead of Francis Ngannou
- I know you didn’t get your Francis trilogy, but would you say this Jon Jones matchup is a bigger fight?
“Oh, I think so. I think the greatest of all time against me, it’s two of the best. It’s what people want to see. I want to fight the best, and it doesn’t get any bigger than that.”
Beating Jon Jones or reclaiming gold – Which means more?
- In all honesty, what means more to you — winning the belt for a historic third time, or being the man to finally defeat John Jones?
“I really want that belt again. I really like being called champ ha ha… it’s kind of like collateral damage. You know, you win that, and you beat him, so it all kind of works altogether.”
Does Jon Jones’s striking make Stipe Miocic’s top-5?
- You’ve been in there with everybody, including some really dangerous strikers. Compared to those guys, where would you rate Jon Jones’ striking? Would he make the top-5?
“Yeah, I think he’s good, definitely good. Yeah. I mean, he picks his shots well, he knows when to throw, he knows how to set it up well. It’s not about power, it’s all about precision, and having the accuracy to hit those spots. And he does well at them.”
Rematch clause?
- Is there a rematch clause in the contract?
“I don’t know. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about November.”
Post-Jon Jones motivation
- So you defeat Jones, you’re champion again. How in the world do you plan on getting motivated to fight anyone else after that?
“I’m not going to worry about that. I’m going to worry about going to Buffalo Wild Wings and getting me those new wings ha ha, and getting bigger”
- Are you going to stay away from the hot sauce?
“Yeah, for sure. Definitely. No question. I’ll probably go my usual route. Go like mild, or barbecue, or the honey one they have. My usual go-to is garlic parm.”
Stipe Miocic in boxing
- Francis is off doing different things, boxing Tyson Fury of all people. How that happened, I don’t know, but I’m super excited for it, and I’m glad it’s it’s going down. Have have you ever entertained maybe doing one of these high payday boxing bouts?
“Yeah, no, I definitely tried, you know. It just didn’t work out. They couldn’t find any agreement, I guess you would say. You’re in the contract with the UFC, so it’s kind of hard to go the opposite way, because you’re a mixed-martial artist, not boxer. It didn’t work out, you know, I’ve definitely tried. The worst thing they could say is ‘no.’ But listen, I wish nothing but the best for Francis.”
Who hits the hardest?
- Of all the people you have faced, who has hit the hardest?
“They all hit hard. I’ve never really thought who hits the hardest. Francis hits hard of course. JDS hits really hard. Mark Hunt hit really hard. Roy Nelson. I can go for days, they all hit hard.”