CLEVELAND — Local firefighter and UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic could be stripped of his title.
Over the weekend, UFC President Dana White said the Euclid native could lose his belt if he doesn't schedule a rematch soon with Daniel Cormier. White says the division needs to move forward.
Stipe won the title back in August with a TKO of Cormier, but as he told Jay Crawford on What's New back in March, the champ is currently working as a firefighter, which is his priority with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Jay spoke with Stipe's wife Ryan on Tuesday. Although she didn't want to be on camera, Ryan Miocic says her husband has never said no to a fight, and has never even received a contract. But he does need to prepare, which is not an option right now.
“He’s (Stipe) not allowed to do anything here in Ohio," Ryan told Jay on What's New. "His gym, which is Strong Style MMA in Independence, is not allowed to open. So how do you train for a UFC heavyweight bout when you can’t train?”
Some have questioned whether the champion is truly committed to returning to fight or if he's fully focusing on being a firefighter. “I think he’s surprised they’re putting so much heat on him when he never said no to a fight. So, I don’t think he held one above the other," Ryan explains. "It's just facts are right now we’re dealing with a pandemic, and he’s always done both. I think he’s proven that. He has 5 belts at home. He’s always been able to hold down 2 different fire stations and defend the UFC heavyweight belt the most times in history, but again it's out of his hands.”
Ryan adds that her husband is "ready and willing to fight just as soon as he can properly train.” In fact, last week Stipe tweeted that he was eager for another go-around with Cormier. "It's going to happen period. I'm going to give my fans what they want to see," he said on May 6.
"Stipe just wants everyone to know that the second he is able to get into any training location, he’s going to do just that," Ryan Miocic added. "He’s ready to fight. He wants to fight DC (Cormier), I’ll tell you that much."