Jon Jones‘s second heavyweight fight went further than the first round, unlike his first one, but it quickly came to an end with a devastating spinning back-kick from the champion to his opponent, Stipe Miocic‘s ribs. Before the UFC 309 headliner, a lot of people were rooting for the fighter-cum-firefighter to show Jones what a real heavyweight fight was all about, but Daniel Cormier claims that Miocic was in no condition to give the supposed greatest of all time a run for his money.

Daniel Cormier believes that the picture got pretty clear about the level of Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones from the early minutes of the bout. Analyzing that one-sided fight, ‘DC’ made an “honest” admission about the fact that seeing the former 2-time champion inside the Octagon was like watching grass grow, pointing out his inability to keep up with the 28-1 legend.

“He [Jon] beat Stipe from start to finish. Stipe looked slow if we’re being honest,” Daniel Cormier stated on the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ show. “I love Stipe. He’s a buddy of mine. I think he and I had always had a ton of respect for each other but that was not the guy that was fighting last time he stepped into the Octagon, and he got knocked out by Francis Ngannou. That wasn’t the same guy [he fought back in the day].”

Daniel Cormier had fought Stipe Miocic thrice and was knocked out in their second encounter at UFC 241. In fact, the 42-year-old has the most knockouts in title fights at heavyweight. However, the mixture of a long layoff and his age didn’t do much helping for Miocic. “That guy is gone, as you’d expect when you’re three years away and you’re 42 years old,” Cormier further added.

A title fight loss after claiming it in the past twice doesn’t seem to be too big of a deal because Stipe Miocic’s career has panned out to be more than just fine. He has a special place in UFC’s history and is surely a future Hall of Fame inductee. Following his decision to retire, his wife, who has been with him during so many of his UFC fights, penned a special message for the career he had.

Despite the loss, Stipe Miocic received a heartwarming message from his better half

Jon Jones’ spinning kick, which he claims is a move that “can drop an elephant if you do it right,” really did a number on Stipe Miocic’s ribs. It could take some time to recover from that, and in the meantime, his wife, Ryan Marie, shared a special message for her husband’s career that lasted for more than a decade, while also cherishing his role as a father of two children.

“12 years of memories that will last a lifetime. The records you’ve broken, the obstacles you’ve overcome, the shows you’ve put on. Always the most under-estimated un-glorified champion, yet the man who never looked for, nor needed it from anyone,” Stipe Miocic’s wife wrote on Instagram. “Years of hard work & sacrifice, all while being the best husband & father anyone could imagine! It’s been an honor to stand by your side & watch you live out your wildest dreams. You always have been, and always will be my GOAT.”

What’s next for Stipe Miocic, then? It could be full-time firefighting or maybe landing a spot on the UFC’s broadcast team or it could be anything else. Meanwhile, let us know what you thought about Daniel Cormier’s assessment and what you believe is the reason Miocic failed to deliver.