Might Miocic beat Cormier and call it a career? He’s not saying

Stipe Miocic knows full well the toll nearly a decade fighting as a UFC heavyweight takes on a body.

“I woke up one day, and I was like, ‘Whoa, I’m really sore.’ “he said recently. “Then after an hour or two, I felt better. I felt great.”

Swapping punches for a living isn’t easy. Miocic turns 38 in about a week — Aug. 19 to be exact.

He might decide to call it a career before celebrating his birthday. He might not. Miocic isn’t revealing his hand. If he is considering retirement, the decision will be easier if he defeats Daniel Cormier on Aug. 15 during the main event at UFC 252 in Las Vegas, completes a trilogy victory against his rival, and ends all discussion about who is the greatest UFC heavyweight.

“Uh, yeah … no … I don’t know … see how I feel,” said Miocic when asked if he’s given thought to Aug. 15 possibly being his last fight.

“... Do I look that old?” He’s understandably vague about the topic of retirement, especially with the Cormier fight closing fast, but it’s likely something Miocic and his wife Ryan have thought about. Life in the UFC can be brutal. Miocic has trained and fought against the UFC’s elite among heavyweights for six straight fights — going 5-1. In each of those fights, he’s trained for five-round bouts, and that’s not easy, according to his coach Marcus Marinelli.

“It’s hard, and it can wear on you,” said Marinelli. “It’s a tough sport. It’s a daily grind. You spend all your time in here (at Strong Style in Independence) away from your family. You’re exhausted all the time. You’re hurt all the time.”

Against Junior dos Santos in 2017, Miocic’s shin took a beating from a leg kick during his second title defense, and that caused some concern for the champion. In his two bouts against Cormier, Miocic suffered from accidental eye pokes. The second eye poke last August forced Miocic to undergo retina surgery in late 2019.

Speaking of retirement, Cormier — who has talked retirement since 2018 — says Aug. 15 is his final fight.

“This is the swan song — my last fight,” he said at ESPN.com.

Aug. 15 is shaping up to be a classic trilogy fight. The fighters split their first two bouts, with Cormier winning by first-round knockout two years ago, and Miocic by a fourthround KO last August.

For Cormier, 41, there’s not much left for him to prove as a two-division champion. He had a reign as UFC’s light heavyweight champion.

Miocic might not have much left to prove either, especially if he defeats Cormier. Francis Ngannou — the future of UFC’s heavyweight division — was a rising star in 2018, and still is, but two years ago it was at a fever pitch. UFC president Dana White made a Miocic-Ngannou super fight happen, and the result in Boston that night was all Miocic. He dominated Ngannou in a unanimous five-round decision.

“His legacy is already set, win, lose or draw,” said Marinelli of Miocic. “He’s the best heavyweight the UFC’s ever had in the history of the sport. That’s before this fight. If he gets this victory, everyone can shut up about everyone else.”

If there’s anyone who has insight in Miocic’s mindset it’s Marinelli. The two have been best of friends for more than a decade, and Marinelli is the godfather to the Miocics’ only child, daughter Meelah.

“If I didn’t trust him, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today,” said Miocic of his coach. “He’s amazing.”

Still, Marinelli isn’t sure what’s next for his fighter and friend after Aug. 15.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do,” he said. “I’ll support him in whatever he does. Beat this guy, and it’s Stipe’s choice. If he wants to go out on top, he’ll have my support whatever he wants to do.

“I know what clogs his mind, and what doesn’t. If he has this fight going on, he doesn’t want to make any other decisions. This is all he’s worried about right now.”

If Aug. 15 is Miocic’s last fight, going out on top as a world champion once again would be the perfect, most storybook way.

“Yeah, for sure. No question,” he said.