Stipe Miocic children: All you should know about the UFC heavyweight's kids
Stipe Miocic is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in UFC history. However, beyond the octagon, the former champion is also a devoted family man. The Ohio native is married to Ryan Marie Carney, and has two kids with her.
In July 2018, the couple welcomed their first child, a girl named Meelah Grace. Meelah was born just two weeks after Miocic's first of his trilogy of bouts against Daniel Cormier at UFC 226.
Their second child, a son named Mateo Cruz, was born on August 28, 2021. The birth of Mateo brought more joy to the Miocic family, as Stipe occasionally shares glimpses of his family life on social media.
Despite his busy training and fighting schedule and working as a full-time firefighter, Stipe Miocic has been gifted at balancing his professional career with his responsibilities at home.
Following his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in 2021, Miocic took a hiatus from the sport which allowed him ample time to focus on his family and spend quality time with his two children. However, the former heavyweight champion is now gearing up for his long-anticipated return as he takes on Jon Jones at UFC 309 this Saturday.
Dana White doubts winner of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic will retire without facing Tom Aspinall
The MMA world has been buzzing with anticipation at what the future holds for Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, who will duel in an epic heavyweight title showdown at UFC 309 this weekend. The outcome of this fight could have significant repercussions on the UFC heavyweight landscape as it remains uncertain if this could be the last outing for either of these legends.
What adds to the stakes is the anticipation around a potential title unification fight against interim champion Tom Aspinall, who has been on a tear in the division and is coming off a rare interim title defense.
While it remains to be seen if Jones or Miocic will continue fighting after this weekend, UFC president Dana White believes that the winner will likely give Aspinall his shot at the undisputed title. Speaking to TNT Sports, White said:
"I truly believe that whoever wins this fight, just competitively the way that these guys are wired and the reason that they're both massive legends in the sport, they're not going to just ride off into the sunset without settling the dispute with Tom Aspinall."
Check out Dana White's comments below (1:15):