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Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic made his first public statement on Monday after losing his title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. The lengthy explanation Miocic posted on Instagram includes his first comments about what he thinks went wrong against Ngannou as well as his plans for the immediate future.
You can see that post below.
Miocic, 38, is the most decorated UFC heavyweight champion in history. He defeated Ngannou in their first fight back in 2018 by unanimous decision but lost the rematch on Saturday by second-round knockout.
It was a brutal defeat, but Miocic believes an error in judgment during the fight is what led to his demise.
He posted, “Unfortunately, I deviated from gameplan. I felt great coming into the second round, I saw it was beginning to go as planned. He was getting very winded, and I came in overzealous and unprotected. I wasn’t in a good posture to take the hit. He saw the opening, and did what any great fighter would have done.”
Miocic didn’t immediately call for the rematch against Ngannou, but the ex-champ did allude to the idea that he would not lose in the same manner again.
He posted, “That was my error that I accept, it won’t happen again.”
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Miocic Shares Outlook on Losses
Miocic seems to have used his defeat to help illustrate the ups and downs of life in sports. He even made light about the ending of the fight when the terrifying Ngannou folded Miocic in half in the most painful way possible.
Miocic posted, “First and foremost, I’m ok. I know that fall wasn’t my most graceful fall, but I was unconscious, so it happens…”.
The fighter also shared some of the wisdom he’s used over his MMA career to win more UFC title fights in the heavyweight division than any other fighter in history.
He posted, “Losses aren’t fun, they always sting for a while, but that’s the beast of this business. You can’t win them all, and it’s important to understand that losing is just as much a part of sports (and life) as winning. Don’t ever forget God will always put you where you’re meant to be at that exact moment. You can’t dwell on what you should have done better, but you can learn and improve from it and come back more prepared next time.”
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Miocic Sends Thanks and Congratulations
Miocic thanked his team and all his fans for their support over the years.
He posted, “To my family friends and fans, especially Croatia & Cleveland…I love you and I’m sorry. I hate letting you down. To my team, thank you. I know you feel every loss just as much as I do. We win as a family, we lose as a family.”
Miocic and Ngannou also showed one another respect inside the cage. After the fight, the two fighters embraced and thanked each other.
Miocic said, “Good job getting it done, buddy”.
Ngannou responded, “It’s been an honor.”
Miocic again congratulated his opponent for the victory on Monday.
Miocic posted, “Lastly, I’d like to congratulate @francisngannou and his team on a well-earned victory. Saturday night was your night, enjoy your victory.”
What’s Next for Miocic?
Miocic and Ngannou are tied 1-1 now, but most pundits don’t expect a third fight to be on its way anytime soon. After UFC 260, UFC president Dana White touted Derrick Lewis and the rest of the heavyweight roster and even discussed UFC superstar Jon Jones as future opponents for Ngannou but didn’t seem all that interested in making the trilogy with Miocic happen.
In his post on Instagram, Miocic didn’t express the desire for the third fight. At least, he doesn’t seem interested in doing it right now.
Instead, the ex-champ wants to rest. He posted, “For now, I’m going to enjoy the downtime, spend some time with my family, and welcome our son into the world this summer… stay tuned, God bless…”.
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