6 minute read
FIREFIGHTER, UFC FIGHTER AND FAMILY MAN STIPE MIOCIC
FIREFIGHTER, UFC FIGHTER & FAMILY MAN STIPE MIOCIC
By Leah Sobon
WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN FEW PEOPLE ARE TIED TO A SINGLE JOB – BUT THERE’S NO ONE WHO MAKES THE MULTIPROFESSIONAL WORLD MORE EXCITING THAN SIX-TIME FORMER UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION STIPE MIOCIC.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY OF STIPE MIOCIC TAKEN AT VALLEY VIEW FIREHALL BY BENJAMIN MEYER
in the UFC, this giant of the octagon also has a whole host of other skills he’s learned at the firehall. Be it fires, CPRS, or inserting an IV, Miocic is full of surprises and has stories to share, just like every other first responder.
So how does a high profile fighter in the UFC also manage to work for a bustling Cleveland fire department?
Ask Miocic and he’ll tell you that it’s all about what draws men and women to the fire service in the first place. “I love helping people. I remember being helped as a kid and I just want to give back. I love the unity and camaraderie. It’s great.”
When it comes to passions and getting into firefighting and the UFC in the first place, Miocic speaks candidly about the helper mentality and explains that it was middle school wrestling that ultimately kicked off his life. “I trained at the gym and had my first fight while I was in the fire academy. I did the course for 10 weeks, three days a week, so I could still work and make money at the same time. I won the fight but when I went for my second fight, the guy cancelled. So, I went to study in paramedic school!”
TIME MANAGEMENT IS A DELICATE BALANCE FOR MIOCIC AND HE VALUES THE HOURS SPENT AT THE FIREHALL AS MUCH AS THE TIME HE SPENDS TRAINING FOR THE OCTAGON.
He strongly believes in the value of tackling one task and one challenge at a time, knowing things will always work themselves out. Miocic and his wife Ryan take on only what they can balance, which is now more important than ever as they welcomed their second child, son Mateo, into the family this past summer.
For Miocic, fire hall life is important, even though his team mates there do their best to remind him just how normal he is. He doesn’t struggle with ego; in fact, he’s as humble and down to earth as they come. “The guys at
work don’t talk with me about fighting. They support me and watch the fights, but when we’re there, we talk about work. It’s a breath of fresh air.”
When Miocic was working for Oakland Village, another fire service, he received some valuable advice from his then-chief about scheduling. The chief, who saw Miocic’s dedication to the fire service, but was also aware of his successes in the octagon, told him to take some time away from work to make a name for himself in the UFC – which he has done with great success. While that kind of support might seem rare, those around Miocic have
always respected and valued his devotion to both firefighting and fighting, with neither being a threat to the other.
Miocic enjoys firefighting as much as paramedicine; however, the greater number of medical calls over fire calls results in his spending a lot of his time on patient care. He’s had some close calls at work with violent patients who got away with a free punch or two. Despite his strength and
ability, he understands that when he is in uniform, he is the consummate professional.
When it comes to dealing with the dynamics and difficulties of the job, Miocic relies on the same coping mechanisms as every other first responder in the world. Dark humor is key
and he strongly believes in the value of being able to laugh with a patient or make them laugh
at his own expense. “When you get back from a call, joking in a dark way helps get it out. I love helping people with humor and making them laugh.”
At 6’5” and 250 lbs, this is a guy who has little to prove when it comes to handling himself in the octagon. But when it comes to training and rank at the firehall, he is just like everyone else. Well, maybe he’s a bit more intimidating, given his official
UFC fight record of 20 wins (14 of those ending in a TKO/KO) and
just four losses. His long-term goals in firefighting are always on his mind, but he isn’t ready to settle in full time yet.
The three-month training camps for his UFC fights are no joke, and a heavy week of training is
often capped off with a weekend of work at the firehall.
While some might assume that working as a firefighter and paramedic is stressful, it’s just what the doctor ordered when it comes to creating a balance. “I’ve been doing this
for a long time and there are days when I'm sore. But that’s
why weekends are so nice. A lot of guys don't like to work weekends. I work roughly 60 hours a month, in four to five shifts, alongside the camp, and sometimes I’ll pick up a shift during the week if I have to, but I always make it work out. I love the firefighting side, and I will definitely want to go full-time one day. If God forbid something happens to me, my children and wife will be taken care of.”
If you’re curious as to what a typical three month training camp in the UFC looks like,
IMAGINE GETTING INTO THE BEST SHAPE POSSIBLE FOR A FIGHT THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE OR BREAK YOUR CAREER.
Strength and conditioning are high on the list of training priorities, but strategy and
research are other important factors that contribute to this incredibly intense training
regime. Every fighter hopes to come away from the camp experience with a win in the octagon.
It comes as no surprise that Miocic has great advice for those hoping to balance a schedule as full and busy as his. He says he takes life one step at a time and knows that one day he will be ready to slow things down.
Until then, Stipe Miocic is laser-focused on the things about life that bring him happiness: his family, his
firehall life, and of course, battling it out as the best heavyweight fighter in the UFC.
