Miocic Prioritises First Responder Duties Over Fighting During Pandemic
Stipe Miocic has publicly again stated that his priorities lie in his role as a fire fighter during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The current UFC heavyweight champion hasn’t fought since last August, when he defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 241. Since reclaiming his title that night, the 37 year old has been recovering from an eye injury suffered in the fight.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Miocic stated that he is currently taking his first responder job very seriously and considers it more important than fighting at this point of time.
“I’m not worried about any of that,” Miocic said. “Right now, I’m worried about what’s going on in the world. Fighting is not going away. It’s always going to be there. We’ve got to get rid of this thing that’s going on and make everyone feel safe again [to] be able to live a normal life.”
While Miocic admits that it’s a frightening time to be a first responder, he’s quick to add that this is what he signed up for.
“[It’s scary], especially with my daughter and my wife. I don’t want to bring it home. At the same time, it’s what we signed up for. First responders, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, doctors – this is what they signed up for. They know that things can happen.”
Miocic does however appreciate the efforts and cooperation of the local population, who have been abiding by the lockdown restrictions.
“We haven’t really gotten anything crazy or a ton of calls about it,” Miocic said. “We’ve gotten a few, but nothing out of the ordinary. It’s been great. That means people are actually listening.”
There aren’t many fighters that combine their training with a day job. Little alone champions. Miocic however, insists that he loves his day job.
“I love what I do,” Miocic said. “I’m not going to sit there and run away from something I work hard to do. The reason I became a firefighter and paramedic is because my whole life I’ve been helped to get where I needed to be. This is my give-back. I love helping people. I love giving back.”
Miocic is set to defend his UFC heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier in a highly anticipated trilogy fight. Although this was originally expected to go down this summer, Stipe’s stance on the coronavirus is likely to push it back to later in the year.
Who wins the trilogy fight, Stipe Miocic or Daniel Cormier?
See also: