CLEVELAND -- UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is just eight days away from defending his belt against Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 226 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 7, and while he maintains a strict focus ahead of a bout, home is never far away for the Cleveland native.
In a MetroPCS ad, Miocic talked about the importance of staying connected to his wife, Ryan, who is eight months pregnant with the couple’s first child, a daughter expected to arrive on August 1.
“My call out goes to my wife, Ryan,” Miocic said in the video. “It’s a really special time in my life with me and my wife. She’s pregnant with our first child. I want to stay connected as much as I can, so we at least text message or video chat.
“It’s just a fight for me, but for her, it’s a little bit more nerve-wracking. Before I walk into The Octagon, I’m still texting her, making sure she’s okay. It’s such an important time in our life, but at least I’m only a phone call or text away.”
Miocic announced the pregnancy during his post-fight interview following a unanimous-decision win over top-ranked contender Francis Ngannou in the main event of UFC 220 at TD Garden in Boston on January 20.
“I’m just excited,” Miocic told WKYC.com at the Cleveland International Auto Show back in March.
“It’s going to be a new experience. A lot of things are going to slow down, which is awesome. It’s good to spend time with the family now and enjoy my family. The baby’s grandparents, it’s going to be awesome to have them over and just enjoy life. I’ve never experienced it, and I’m excited to experience it.”
Miocic did not have much time to savor his dominant unanimous-decision victory over Ngannou after UFC 220, as just six days later, he was chosen to be a coach for the current season of The Ultimate Fighter and had to catch a flight to Las Vegas for six weeks of taping for the build-up to his summer defense against Cormier.
Before Miocic made the decision to coach on TUF 27, he had to clear it with Ryan, who was three months pregnant when the super-fight against Cormier, the UFC light-heavyweight champion, was announced.
“If there’s one person I want to stay connected to, it’s my wife,” Miocic said.