Set to snap his lenghty three-year plus hiatus from the Octagon this weekend, Stipe Miocic will do so sporting some custom shorts for his heavyweight title fight with Jon Jones — with the board shorts emblazoned with a black and grey mofit as well as a Croatian flag.
Miocic, who retains the number eight rank in the official heavyweight pile despite his long-time stay way from combat sports, has been sidelined since 2021, most recently reaching fellow former undisputed titleholder, Francis Ngannou.
And suffering a devastating second round loss, Miocic was finished with a brutal knockout by the Cameroonian, and spoke earlier this week of how he laments missing out on an attempted trilogy rubber match with the recent PFL (Professional Fighters League) debutante.
“I was trying. I was trying to get the rematch,” Stipe Miocic said about pursuing the Ngannou trilogy when speaking to MMA Fighting. “Then he left and it didn’t happen, unfortunately. Listen, I’m a fighter. I don’t work for the UFC internally and [figuring] out matchmaking. It’s what they wanted to do and it’s what they did.”
“Yeah of course [I was disappointed] because I wanted the rubber match,” Stipe Miocic continued. “But also at the same point, he’s doing better for himself and his family. I’m not mad at him. He’s doing great.”
Stipe Miocic earns custom fight shorts for UFC 309 return
And tackling Jones this weekend, Miocic will sport a pair of custom fight shorts for his comeback to the Octagon –reminiscent to a pair of shorts worn by him previously, and emblazoned with a Croatian flag — drawing back memories to UFC veteran and striking icon, Mirko Cro Cop.
First look at Stipe Miocic's custom shorts for #UFC309
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— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 11, 2024
Without a win since 2020, Miocic’s most recent success came in the form of his third fight from a series with former two-division gold holder, Daniel Cormier, defeating the Hall of Fame inductee with a unanimous decision success at the UFC Apex facility.