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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has not defended his title since recapturing the crown from Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 last August. There was talk of having him back earlier this year; however, injuries and the spread of coronavirus sidelined him until further notice.
And the rest of the division isn’t happy about it, including No. 3-ranked contender Curtis Blaydes.
“I don’t really care what he thinks,” Miocic told MMA Fighting. “What am I supposed to do? We’re in a pandemic. What else do you want me to say? Even if I wasn’t a first responder I still couldn’t train so shut up. Stop crying.”
Miocic, 37, has been criticized by both Cormier and UFC President Dana White for not finding alternative ways to train. But the regulations vary from state to state and Miocic has already seen firsthand what happens to people who don’t follow the rules.
“My coach, no joke, shut his gym down. He wasn’t taking any dudes, no one’s paying anything because it’s not fair to everyone,” Miocic said. “They had a bunch of stuff outside the gym and a couple people, like five or six people were working out together, they were even six feet apart and someone saw that and reported it and he got cited by the CDC. That’s how strict they are. So everyone can just shut up cause they’re idiots.”
If White does not create an interim title and allows Miocic to come back later this year, Cormier will have to choose between sitting on the sidelines or taking a title-eliminator bout against heavyweight wrecking ball, Francis Ngannou.
Either way, no more crying about it.