Photos – Stipe Miocic lands custom shorts with Croatian flag for Jon Jones title fight at UFC 309
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Set to snap his lenghty three-year plus hiatus from the Octagon this weekend, Stipe Miocic will do so sporting some custom shorts for his heavyweight title fight with Jon Jones — with the board shorts emblazoned with a black and grey mofit as well as a Croatian flag.
Miocic, who retains the number eight rank in the official heavyweight pile despite his long-time stay way from combat sports, has been sidelined since 2021, most recently reaching fellow former undisputed titleholder, Francis Ngannou.
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And suffering a devastating second round loss, Miocic was finished with a brutal knockout by the Cameroonian, and spoke earlier this week of how he laments missing out on an attempted trilogy rubber match with the recent PFL (Professional Fighters League) debutante.
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“I was trying. I was trying to get the rematch,” Stipe Miocic said about pursuing the Ngannou trilogy when speaking to MMA Fighting. “Then he left and it didn’t happen, unfortunately. Listen, I’m a fighter. I don’t work for the UFC internally and [figuring] out matchmaking. It’s what they wanted to do and it’s what they did.”
“Yeah of course [I was disappointed] because I wanted the rubber match,” Stipe Miocic continued. “But also at the same point, he’s doing better for himself and his family. I’m not mad at him. He’s doing great.”
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Stipe Miocic earns custom fight shorts for UFC 309 return
And tackling Jones this weekend, Miocic will sport a pair of custom fight shorts for his comeback to the Octagon –reminiscent to a pair of shorts worn by him previously, and emblazoned with a Croatian flag — drawing back memories to UFC veteran and striking icon, Mirko Cro Cop.
Without a win since 2020, Miocic’s most recent success came in the form of his third fight from a series with former two-division gold holder, Daniel Cormier, defeating the Hall of Fame inductee with a unanimous decision success at the UFC Apex facility.