VIDEO: Stipe Miocic to fight Jon Jones in Croatian shorts
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Stipe Miocic (photo credit: Instagram)
“I love Croatia, the best country in the world. The last time I was there was in 2019,” said Stipe Miocic at a press conference just days before this weekend’s big showdown against Jon Jones.
This fight is being hailed as one of the biggest in the history of the organisation.
Miocic and Jones will square off at New York’s Madison Square Garden on 17 November and the Croatian-American champion revealed the special shorts he will wear during the photos shoot.
Recently, UFC fighters competing in major matches have been issued new shorts featuring personalised designs, often reflecting their national or ethnic identity, cultural heritage, or other aspects that make them recognisable to fans, Večernji list says.
A special design for Miocic’s fight shorts feature the Croatian coat of arms on the side, showing Miocic’s pride in his roots and gratitude to his many Croatian supporters. Also there are checkers are on the front half of his shorts too.
“I love Croatia, the best country in the world. The last time I was there was in 2019,” Miocic said during the press conference, a few days before the big fight.
Which #UFC309 fighter has the best custom shorts? 👀 pic.twitter.com/6BRNkp3A4K
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 14, 2024
He also shared that he plans to visit Croatia again with his family. “Thank you all for the support. It means a lot to me,” Miocic told his Croatian fans who will be cheering him on against Jon Jones. He also revealed that steps are underway for him to obtain Croatian citizenship.
Stipe Miocic in gold gloves 🤩 #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/4T4VIO3BLL
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 13, 2024
Miocic’s late father was from Rtina near Zadar on the Dalmatian coast and his mother is from Cetingrad near Karlovac.
View this post on Instagram
Miocic, who recently paid homage to his Croatian roots with a new tattoo on his arm, has the most consecutive title defenses in UFC heavyweight history after defending his title four times against Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Francis Ngannou and Daniel Cormier.
