‘I don’t think Stipe Miocic wanted to do this’… Former UFC star gives tough assessment as he explains why the icon is hanging up the gloves

Stipe Miocic looked a far cry from his brilliant best in his losing effort against Jon Jones this weekend, with one former contender saying he didn't believe the legend wanted to be in the octagon.

The Croatian-American has proven without a doubt that he is one of the best heavyweights to ever step into the Octagon.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Brendan Schaub thinks Stipe Miocic didn't want to fight Jon Jones at UFC 309

At the height of his powers, Stipe Miocic was a truly terrifying individual, blessed with incredible wrestling skills and the ability to render any opponent he touched unconscious with a single shot.

Unfortunately, after a great run, at the age of 42, he's not quite the man he was in his prime.

After the fight with Jon Jones, the icon told Joe Rogan that he was done with the sport in which he left such a remarkable legacy.

After listening to the greatest heavyweight of all time speak inside the cage for possibly the last time, Brendan Schaub suspected he actually had no desire to be there at all.

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In a clip uploaded to his Twitter, the former contender said: “I don't think Stipe really wanted to do this. I think he's been ready for a long time; he knows his body is a fraction of what it used to be. He can't really put his best foot forward; he's just lucky he can move his foot forward at all at this point.

“Have you ever, in any sport, especially in mixed martial arts, heard a guy of that caliber, you're talking about a great Hall of Famer for the first ballot, they give him the mic, there's nothing special, there's nothing there he says, 'I'm done, thank God. Get me the fuck out of here, I don't want to be here at all, give me my check, I want to go back, put out fires, raise my kids.”

“Here's how he thought about it: 'What did you think was going to happen?' I'm 42. I don't feel great, I don't want to do this. It hurts to get up in the morning, it's miserable to go to camp, do roadwork, get in shape. I haven't done this in four years. Now I have to fight Jon Jones. Get me out of here, you can keep this bullshit. The greatest American heavyweight we have ever seen.”

It felt like Stipe was done long before UFC 309. I don't blame him at all. We've never seen an athlete of his caliber retire and say, 'I'm done. Thank God”pic.twitter.com/mGLSyPfzOt

— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) November 19, 2024

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Stipe Miocic Breaks Silence for First Time Since Losing Jon Jones as He Reveals Whether He's Really Retired

In the days since the loss to Jones, Miocic has had time to collect his thoughts and make a final decision on whether he wants to continue with the sport.

As a testament to his incredible abilities, even though he was no longer in his heyday, he still had success on Saturday and would likely still give many good heavyweights a run for their money.

But at the same time, if you've already accomplished everything there is to do in the game, there may be little point in continuing.

Regardless, now that the dust has settled, the Cleveland warrior has broken his silence and opened up about whether this is really the end.

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