Miocic has since been dealing with an eye injury suffered at the event, but has also claimed that he won’t fight again until after the coronavirus pandemic ends, as the pandemic has prevented Miocic from properly training for a title defense.
One fighter who finds Miocic’s claims to be a little dubious is fellow heavyweight Curtis Blaydes, who said the following on Twitter:
Any professional athlete but especially a pro fighter needs to take responsibility for their training, this pandemic hasn’t forced me to miss one workout. Stipe is tripping if he thinks ppl believe he can’t train cause his coach can’t open the gym up --
— Curtis Blaydes (@RazorBlaydes265) May 15, 2020
The UFC is also questioning Miocic’s ability to fight during the pandemic, as UFC President Dana White said that the promotion could strip Miocic of the title. Cormier, who is expected to fight Miocic for a third time in the future, is also willing to face Francis Ngannou if the heavyweight gold becomes vacated.
