The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Miocic balancing fatherhood
UFC heavyweight champion, wife Ryan are expecting daughter in early August
This training camp preparing for a fight has been unlike any other during Stipe Miocic’s sevenyear UFC career.
That’s because the 35-yearold heavyweight champion of the world is an expectant father. A few weeks after his super fight vs. Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 on July 7 in Las Vegas is completed, he and his wife Ryan will be ready for a bundle of joy. They are expecting their first child — a daughter — sometime in early August.
The North graduate and parttime firefighter said not much has changed during training camp. There are the usual nerves that go with expecting fathers waiting for the words from their significant other that “it’s time.” There are always surprises along the way. For Miocic, it’s chores — such as assembling a baby’s crib — that get under his skin.
“Well, it’s tough when you get stuff in the mail and you have to put it together,” said Miocic during a June 28 UFC teleconference.
“It was a great opportunity, but family comes first.” – Stipe Miocic, on deciding whether to pursue coaching “The Ultimate Fighter” with his wife expecting
“That’s a little annoying when you’re trying to read instructions and figure things out. That’s what really irritates me.”
There was also the chore of creating the baby’s room at the couple’s home in North Royalton.
“I had a lot of my friends helping me with that,” said
Miocic.
As for their daughter’s name, Miocic said in January after he defeated Francis Ngannou he and his wife have decided on either Dylan, Marie or Isabella for their daughter’s name. He also joked he might install cameras throughout his home — a hint he might be an overprotecting father.
“I’m kind of a psycho like that,” Miocic said with a laugh.
Another factor that made
home life a bit of a challenge during Ryan’s pregnancy was the fact Miocic spent more than two months in Las Vegas filming the UFC reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter 27: Undefeated.” The way it played out, though, there were no concerns.
“She’s awesome,” Miocic said about his wife. “I’m very lucky to have her in my life. She’s an amazing wife, and she’ll be an amazing mother.”
Miocic was a coach for “The Ultimate Fighter,” as was his UFC 226 opponent Cormier on the opposite side. Miocic was hesitant at first participating in the show. The UFC began discussions before his January bout with Ngannou — which he won by unanimous decision — but Miocic said no thanks.
“I had so much going on,” Miocic told The News-Herald. “I originally told them no because they asked before
the fight, and that was all I was thinking about. Then we talked (more), and with my wife (Ryan) pregnant I made sure she was OK with it. She was OK with it. It was a great opportunity, but family comes first.”
Cormier, the light heavyweight champion who’s coming up a weight class to challenge Miocic for his heavyweight belt, knows all about balancing family life as a well-known sports figure. He’s 39 and hopes to retire when he turns 40 this coming March. Cormier’s perfect scenario: Defeat Miocic then fight Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar before March 2018, retire and put family first.
“It’s a hard deadline, (but) I love that I know it, and I love that I can go and make my family the focus,” said Cormier, a world-class wrestler since the age of 15. “My life hasn’t been normal since I was 15. I’m ready to live normal.”