UFC 226 superimposed with Daniel Cormier does not uproot the heavyweight star – The Denver Post

LAS VEGAS – Stipe Miocic was the UFC heavyweight champion for more than two years, quietly dominating the most tumultuous division of mixed martial arts over a record three defenses at the title.

Yet, deep in his heart, the biggest heavyweight champion in the history of the UFC has embraced the fact that he will always feel like a Cleveland firefighter whose life took an incredible detour.

"When I walk in the octagon and that they lock the door, I say to myself," Well, I can not leave now, "said Miocic." It's the fight or theft, and you have to fight. It's a bit surreal, though. You look through the cage, and you're like, 'Huh. I am fighting Daniel Cormier. Impressive. I watched this guy when I was an amateur. "

Real life for Miocic (18-2) is not under the lights of T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas. He will take a moment in this cage to enjoy the brilliant absurdity of being faced with Cormier (20-1), the imposing light heavyweight champion, in the highly anticipated UFC main event. 226 Saturday night.

Real life is home in Cleveland, where his pregnant wife tries to wait to deliver their first child until he gets home. Real life is in fire stations in the suburbs of Oakwood and Valley View where he still works as a firefighter and paramedic, inserting several teams each week between MMA workouts.

Miocic, 35, firmly believes he has kept the UFC's heavyweight division locked up because he remained in Cleveland and worked tirelessly to avoid the pitfalls and pitfalls of success. .

"If ever I acted as if I were better than someone, my wife and mother would kill me pretty much," Miocic said. "I think it's just the people around me – my wife, my family, my coaches, my friends, my fire buddies." If I do something stupid, it would be like, "You're a fool." In addition, I come back from a fight for the title, and literally, the day I was working, they told me "here." A diver on me, they get me down very quickly. "

will not let that go to his head, but Miocic's achievements in the heavyweight division are unparalleled at this stage.

After winning eight of his first 10 fights at the UFC, he won the title by going to Brazil and eliminating Fabricio Werdum on his own field. Miocic kept the belt by stopping veteran veterans Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos, followed by a one-sided victory last January against Francis Ngannou, whose meteoric rise was halted by a deserted champion.

Not bad for a former wrestler from the state of Cleveland who essentially stopped studying MMA for a whole year while he was finishing his paramedic training.

His long-time coach, Marcus Marinelli, was gratified to see Miocic's ability to maximize the potential that he saw so many years ago.

"I thought he'd be a champion even before he was at the UFC if he continued on his way, (but) it's a big" if Marinelli said, "Not everyone can maintain this growth for long periods of time and not give in under pressure and change. When you are successful, you can go to Hollywood. You can ruin everything. Your mind changes. Instead of coaching, you may think, "Oh, I'll go on Wednesday." Never for him. All the characteristics of his personality that he had, they continued to become stronger. I think that he realized that his success was the consequence and that he did not want to change it. "

Miocic made the biggest salary of his career Saturday, and the champion said that he was finally" 100% "satisfied with the UFC's financial commitment to him. Was not the case this year, when his disappointment over a relatively lean control against Ngannou prompted him to take the belt of UFC President Dana White in the Boston cage so that Marinelli could put around his waist instead of White.