Stipe Miocic accomplished what he told Sporting News he would do at UFC 198: win the heavyweight championship of the world and bring it home to Cleveland.
After Miocic knocked out Fabricio Werdum on Saturday, Cleveland's pro sports teams threw their support toward him on social media. The city hasn't won a team championship since the Browns won the NFL title in 1964.
"I love this city," Miocic said. "That is what I love about this city. No matter what they get behind each other. It's an amazing feeling."
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Miocic accepted an invitation by the Cavaliers to attend Tuesday night's Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Raptors. Initially, Miocic told SN he wouldn't let Cavs star LeBron James touch the UFC belt until James won a title for Cleveland. Winning the gold has made Miocic reconsider.
"I'm a nice guy," Miocic said. "Maybe it will rub off on him or something. I'm too nice, I can't help it (laughs). There are people out there that are going to say, 'You're an idiot.'"
Winning a championship is the greatest accomplishment a fighter can achieve. For some, it feels natural. For others, it takes time to grasp the reality that they have reached the top of their sport.
"Honestly, it feels great but it's still kind of surreal," Miocic told Sporting News. "It still feels weird. It will sink in soon."
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After the victory, Miocic hopped the Octagon, hugged his team, the Strong Style Fight Team, and kept proclaiming, "I'm a world champion." The new champ gives the team all the credit for his success.
"I knew I was going to jump out of the cage when i won the title because (Strong Style) put a lot of time into me," Miocic said. "We did it. Not just me. We did it. We trained and prepared and sacrificed for their families to be with me. I wanted them to make sure they knew how much I appreciated them. I wouldn't be where I'm at today if it wasn't for them."
Steven Muehlhausen is an MMA and boxing writer and contributor for Sporting News. You can find his podcast, The Fight Club Chicago, and subscribe on iTunes, Soundcloud and Stitcher. You can email him at [email protected] and can find him on Twitter @SMuehlhausenMMA.
