STIPE MIOCIC SAYS HE'S RETIRING AFTER TKO LOSS AT UFC 309

Stipe Miocic has decided to call it a career.

Following his third-round stoppage loss to Jon Jones at UFC 309 on Saturday night, Miocic announced his retirement from the sport, ending a remarkable career orchestrated by the fighter out of Euclid, Ohio.

"I'm done," Miocic said. "I'm hanging them up."

Despite the loss, Miocic remains widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history.

"He's one of the greatest heavyweights ever," UFC CEO Dana White said to ESPN's Mike Coppinger. "You can't deny Stipe. Stipe is [No. 1 or No. 2] all time."

Miocic made his UFC debut in 2011 after going 6-0 on the regional scene and won three consecutive fights before suffering a TKO loss to Stefan Struve in 2012. Miocic methodically made his way back up the rankings with wins over Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabio Maldonado before suffering his second career loss to former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

That second setback set the stage for a historic heavyweight run.

Following stoppage victories over Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski, Miocic was granted a title opportunity against then-champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in 2016. Werdum was on a remarkable run of his own, staying undefeated for nearly five years. But Miocic ended that with a first-round knockout to claim UFC gold.

Miocic reigned as champion for the next 784 days and made a trio of successful title defenses against Alistair Overeem, dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. To date, Miocic holds the UFC record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three.

He dropped the title to then-light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in 2018, and the two would engage in an epic trilogy. Miocic reclaimed the title by knockout a year later at UFC 241 and won the rubber match at UFC 252 in 2020, with a decision that sent Cormier into retirement.

Now it is Miocic's time to bid farewell to a legendary career.

After losing his title in a rematch against Ngannou in 2021, Miocic stayed out of action for more than three years before stepping back into the Octagon one last time Saturday against the man considered by most as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

This version of Miocic was far different from the one who dominated the heavyweight division. He was unsure of himself and a step slow against Jones. Miocic was taken down early in the first round and drilled with elbows for a majority of the round while being pinned to the canvas. The second round saw Miocic struggle to put together any offense as Jones slammed kicks to the body and staggered the former champion with a hard right hand.

Miocic sought to put together a winning combination in the third round and resorted to chasing Jones around the Octagon. But he was met with a spinning back kick to the liver that put him down and out.

Miocic departs with a handful of records in the UFC heavyweight division, including most combined title defenses (4), most finishes in title fights (4), most postfight bonuses (9) and a tie with Randy Couture for most wins in title fights (6).

Perhaps as noteworthy as his career as a mixed martial artist is his dedication to his community. Throughout his fighting tenure, Miocic has maintained a career as a firefighter and paramedic in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. The father of two will continue working as a full-time firefighter.

- Andreas Hale, ESPN