Inside a 24-hour firehouse shift with UFC heavyweight Stipe Miocic

VALLEY VIEW, OHIO — Stipe Miocic will get out of his Dodge Insurgent pickup, opens the truck’s backdoor to seize a black UFC duffel bag and slings it over his left shoulder.

It is 7:16 a.m. on this Cleveland suburb. The solar is barely up, with one other muggy July day anticipated. Miocic opens the facet door of the Valley View Hearth Division station home and makes his approach in. The lights are dim inside.

In three weeks, Miocic will combat Daniel Cormier for the UFC heavyweight title in entrance of a sold-out crowd. He is a part of the principle occasion of UFC 241 on the Honda Heart in Anaheim, California. However at the moment? He is a firefighter and paramedic arriving for a 24-hour shift.

Inside the home, the firefighters who labored in a single day are starting their day. “The Blind Facet” performs on the tv. Miocic goes into the adjoining room to alter into his uniform: a navy blue T-shirt with the Valley View FD crest on the breast, black slacks and black boots.

UFC 241 includes a heavyweight championship rematch and the return of one of the standard stars within the UFC. Daniel Cormier will defend his title towards Stipe Miocic, and Nate Diaz fights for the primary time in three years, taking over Anthony Pettis. Order UFC 241 now

UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2
• Saturday, Anaheim, California
• Early prelims: ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET
• Prelims: ESPN, eight p.m. ET
• Essential card: ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET

UFC 241 Content material:
• 24 hours within the firehouse with Stipe Miocic
• Breaking down Cormier-Miocic II

Order UFC 241 now

The scent of pain-relief cream wafts in from the room the place Miocic is altering. He says he is a bit “worn out.” He has been in coaching camp for 2 months, juggling combined martial arts coaching 5 or 6 days per week with three firehouse shifts per week. He trains typically twice each day, and people firehouse shifts are 12 or 24 hours apiece. That is his final one earlier than he’ll rejoice his daughter Meelah’s first birthday and begin to focus full time on making an attempt to reclaim the UFC title he misplaced to Cormier in July 2018.

Miocic’s identify is spelled incorrectly — “Moicic” — on his fireplace jacket, and he has by no means cared sufficient to get it modified. For the UFC, he is a headliner on the marquee, one of many biggest heavyweight champions of all time. On the station, spelling his identify proper is not even a precedence.

“No particular therapy,” veteran firefighter Duane Kattler says.

Miocic does not need to combat fires whereas pursuing his UFC profession — he chooses to. He identifies as a lot as a firefighter as he does an elite skilled athlete, if no more.

Actually, Miocic, who started on the station 10 years in the past, is making an attempt to get employed full time with the Valley View Hearth Division, which might almost double his hours.

“I really like what I do, man,” Miocic says. “I work actual onerous right here, and I really like particularly serving to out individuals. Why would I give it up? Plus, it retains my thoughts off MMA.”

Stipe Miocic relaxes on the firehouse with fellow firefighter Jeff Satow. Michael F. McElroy for ESPN

IT’S 7:30 A.M. sharp, the beginning of a brand new shift. Miocic heads to the storage for the morning truck examine. He grabs a pill from the adjoining workplace and goes down the digital checklist of issues that should be inspected: provides, displays, transportable radios, oxygen, oil.

At eight:04 a.m., he goes to his locker in a room off the storage. Inside are all the standard issues, reminiscent of gear and household pictures, in addition to one thing utterly surprising: a still-boxed motion determine of UFC fighter Junior dos Santos. The opposite firefighters gave it to Miocic as a joke after he misplaced to dos Santos in 2014. The firehouse could be ruthless. The boys will choose at any perceived vulnerability with jokes and pranks — all in good enjoyable, in fact.

On TV, Miocic is likely one of the baddest males on the planet, showing in nationally circulated Modelo commercials. Right here? He is simply one of many guys.

“If we’re not f—ing with you, we do not such as you,” firefighter Jeff Satow says.

Miocic says the pleasant hazing went up “tenfold” after he gained the UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Fabricio Werdum in 2016. On his first day again, the opposite firefighters at Valley View made Miocic clear the toilet — bathrooms, showers and all — whereas carrying the belt. There was additionally a wager made that if Miocic went exterior and stood waving to passersby with the belt round his waist, nobody would pull over and ask for an image or autograph. After a couple of humiliating hours, Miocic gained the wager.

“I am unable to be a child about it,” he says. “You give them one inch, they will take a mile.”

Stipe Miocic, proper, spends time with fellow firefighters Ricky Crumbley (left) and Brett Dugas and the division’s canine, Ricco. Michael F. McElroy for ESPN

A CALL COMES over the speaker at 9:37 a.m., however it’s not for Valley View. A person fell and hit his head, and an ambulance is required in Cuyahoga Heights. The firefighters hear, and as soon as they notice they will not be wanted, they return to milling across the kitchen and tv room, cracking clever and telling tales.

Miocic has battled numerous fires, seen a number of useless our bodies and saved fairly a couple of overdose victims in 10 years on the job.

When he began, a person dropped a candle whereas he was caught in a crawlspace, igniting a hearth. Miocic and the remainder of the workforce needed to pull him out. The person survived however was badly burned.

“His arms and toes have been blistered up,” Miocic says. “It was disgusting.”

Miocic says he sees a useless physique “a couple of occasions a yr.” It is slightly simpler to cope with when it is an older individual, he says, however “intense” when it is somebody younger, which has not occurred ceaselessly. A standard name is for drug overdoses. Miocic says each time he has gotten a type of calls, he has been in a position to revive the sufferer with Narcan, the opioid reversal treatment.

“The unhealthy half about that’s when you get them again, they attempt to combat you,” he says. “Generally they arrive swinging.”

Solely as soon as, Miocic says, was he harmed on a name. The firefighters have been despatched out at 5 a.m. to a person’s residence after he “did slightly an excessive amount of partying.” The man was messing round with the ambulance door, he yanked on it, and the door hit Miocic within the face. Little did the inebriated fellow know he socked one of the harmful males on the planet.

“I began turning inexperienced,” Miocic says. “[Valley View fire chief] Kenny [Papesh] was like, ‘Straightforward, man.’ It was an accident. He did not imply to do it. I calmed down.”

Stipe Miocic and fellow firefighters play cornhole exterior the firehouse. Michael F. McElroy for ESPN

MIOCIC FINISHES LUNCH after 1 p.m. and settles in to observe a number of the Cleveland Indians’ sport towards the Kansas Metropolis Royals. Miocic, a former faculty baseball participant, is a large Cleveland sports activities fan. The Cavaliers gained the NBA title sooner or later after his marriage ceremony, and Miocic says it’s nonetheless “most likely the perfect week of my life.”

He is a daily at FirstEnergy Stadium for Browns video games, although he felt awkward at first about profiting from his celeb standing and asking for tickets.

Miocic is the type of man who ideas bartenders and servers greater than 20% and brags about his four.97 Uber ranking.

“I take large satisfaction in that,” he says.

Satow says it virtually appears ridiculous to assume that the Miocic from the firehouse is identical man who climbs into the Octagon a couple of occasions a yr.

“Since I first met him 10 years in the past, he is at all times laughing and joking,” Satow says. “You are like, that is the man that will get into the ring and beats the s— out of individuals? He is the nicest man on the planet. My daughter loves him. She purchased him a Christmas present final yr.”

At 6:45 p.m., Satow’s spouse, Rochelle, comes by with their 6-year-old daughter, Savannah. The affable, typically goofy Miocic is the focal point. Savannah has simply began coaching in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Miocic’s Sturdy Fashion gymnasium in close by Independence, Ohio.

Miocic loves youngsters. He dotes on Meelah over FaceTime a number of occasions over the course of his shift. His spouse, Ryan, was pregnant with Meelah by means of Miocic’s coaching camp for his earlier Cormier combat and gave delivery simply days after the bout.

“As a lot as I stated I wasn’t, I used to be pressured about it,” Miocic says. “It was positively on my thoughts.”

Stipe Miocic makes his mattress on the firehouse, the place he lately accomplished a 24-hour shift. Michael F. McElroy for ESPN

THE FIREFIGHTERS SPEND the night taking part in cornhole exterior the storage. The shift modifications at 7:30 p.m. A few firefighters go away and some extra arrive.

Valley View has not obtained a name all day. It is a quiet summer season Sunday within the city of about 2,000. The workweek, when hundreds extra enter for jobs at factories and different companies, is way busier.

The evening winds down. Miocic makes a mattress however isn’t a lot of a sleeper. His mind is at all times lively, whether or not he is on his telephone, watching TV or taking part in video video games. Name of Responsibility is his sport of selection, and he ceaselessly performs on-line with shut good friend and UFC fighter Gian Villante. When Miocic encounters somebody he does not know on-line or in actual life, he virtually by no means tells them he is a UFC fighter.

“I simply inform individuals I am a firefighter,” Miocic says. “I am not searching for any acknowledgement. Lots of people nonetheless do not perceive the game. They’re nonetheless studying.”

Miocic spends extra time working at a “regular job” than simply about another UFC fighter at his stage. However he says he is working simply as onerous as everybody else within the gymnasium and isn’t involved with what his opponent has occurring.

“I work my ass off,” he says. “I am centered. But in addition, you have gotta stay your life. I am not gonna sit there and fear about another person. I fear about what I am doing.”

DARK TURNS TO mild, and the method begins anew. Firefighters beginning their shifts start trickling in at 7 a.m. It is Monday morning, and Papesh, the chief, arrives for the workweek.

That is Miocic’s remaining shift earlier than his large title combat, and Cormier’s identify is talked about by one other firefighter. It is a soiled phrase at Valley View. Final yr, Cormier got here by the station and frolicked with the fellows in his job as a UFC analyst on the present “Within the Clinch.” This was earlier than Miocic and Cormier have been booked to combat, when Cormier was the sunshine heavyweight champion and Miocic held the heavyweight belt.

1 Associated

“Cormier was all deferential to Stipe,” Papesh says. “He got here into our home and stated he wasn’t going to go as much as heavyweight. Now, he is speaking all that s—. He isn’t allowed again. He isn’t welcome at Valley View Hearth Division anymore.”

Cormier knocked out Miocic in July 2018, however it’s what he has stated since — that Miocic wasn’t deserving of a rematch — that has ruffled feathers.

“It is brothers right here,” Miocic says. “You are taking one out, you f— with all of them. He beat me. No matter. We’re not speaking about that, however the s— he is saying, I do not know. Like I am entitled to one thing. No matter. It’s what it’s. They’ve my again it doesn’t matter what. Win or lose, they’ve my again.”

There was a time when Miocic and Cormier have been pleasant, on texting phrases. Not. There may be bitterness on Miocic’s facet, particularly attributable to the truth that Cormier was making an attempt to combat Brock Lesnar, who failed a drug take a look at after UFC 200, quite than Miocic. Lesnar determined to remain in WWE, so Miocic received the spot.

“They will learn how good I actually am,” Miocic says. “He was searching for a straightforward combat. That is what he was searching for. What are you gonna do? He tells me I ought to get one other combat earlier than I combat him, however you are the one which’s making an attempt to combat a dude that hasn’t fought in three years and received popped for a bunch of steroids?

“I simply know I am a greater fighter than he’s. I am simply gonna go on the market, beat his ass and get my belt again. It is not even in regards to the belt. It is in regards to the precept now.”

Miocic’s shift is meant to be over at 7:30 a.m., however two firefighters aren’t in a position to are available. So Miocic is again doing truck checks, identical to he did 24 hours earlier. No particular therapy.

“I am shopping for a home at the moment,” he says. “I used to be gonna practice twice at the moment. It is at all times one thing with me — no matter.”

Miocic lastly will get the OK to go away. He FaceTimes Ryan at eight:48 a.m. to inform her he has to go straight to the gymnasium to coach. He has been on the station for almost 26 hours.

Simply as he’s strolling out the door at 9 a.m., UFC bag slung over his shoulder, a name lastly is available in over the speaker. There is a kitchen fireplace at a house in Valley View. The alarm sounds. Miocic shrugs his shoulders. The 5 firefighters on obligation get able to go.

Had it come whereas he was nonetheless on, Miocic would have gladly jumped within the engine and ridden out. Lower than 30 days earlier than he tries to win again the UFC belt? Irrespective of.

“I adore it,” Miocic says. “It makes my mother happy with me. I made one thing of my life.”