Stipe Miocic is the man of the hour. The 33-year-old returned home to Cleveland, Ohio, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title in hand after knocking out Fabricio Werdum in the UFC 198 main event on May 14. Miocic now resumes his double life, with a twist. Instead of being a firefighter and aspiring UFC contender, he is a firefighter and the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” courtesy of his newly seized heavyweight crown.
While Miocic’s blue-collar story should endear him to domestic audiences and beyond, it should not put new paint on the fact that high-level mixed martial artists, including those in the UFC, still hold day jobs and must rely on alternate incomes.