Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic pens an emotional message on the unfortunate demise of his father - "Your kids wouldn’t be who they are today if it weren’t for you"

Stipe Miocic is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest, heavyweight fighters of all time. The No. 2-ranked heavyweight is known for being very private, however, he recently shared that his father, Bojan Miocic, passed away in a very emotional tribute shared to his Instagram, stating:

"This took a little bit to write this, I didn’t want to post about it, but I want everyone to know… my father passed away this past Sunday and I appreciate all of the text, calls and prayers. Dad you were a boisterous, stubborn, opinionated, “told everyone how you felt” kinda guy.. which I definitely got from you haha.. in the same breath, you were the most soft, gentle loving man (got that from you as well)."

The two-time heavyweight champion added:

"Thank you for being you. Your kids wouldn’t be who they are today if it weren’t for you… I don’t like sharing personal things on social media, but it’s important to remember & celebrate his life and what a wonderful man he was… Rest in peace and I know you’ll be watching over us. Love you Dad."

Check out Stipe Miocic's tribute to his father below:

While it is unclear how Bojan Miocic passed away, he previously battled cancer. Stipe Miocic found out that his father was cancer-free just moments after defeating Daniel Cormier to reclaim the heavyweight title at UFC 241.

Revisit Stipe Miocic discovering that his father beat cancer below (starting at the 2:49 mark):

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Ariel Helwani believes that Stipe Miocic's career could end if Jon Jones faces Francis Ngannou

Stipe Miocic has not fought since losing the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou nearly two years ago. There have been rumors that Miocic could return to the octagon against Jon Jones, however, there have also been talks that the greatest lightweight of all time could challenge Ngannou for the title in his heavyweight debut.

Mixed martial arts analyst Ariel Helwani believes that if the latter match is booked by the UFC, Miocic's career may quietly come to an end, stating on The MMA Hour:

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this marks the end of Stipe's career. Stipe's going to go off into the night very quietly... Stipe, pretty quiet guy, pretty private guy, likes his life, is a fighter, he was not going to make a big deal about the end of his fighting career... I think now they're going to try to make the fight against Ngannou in March and if they do that, who's Stipe going to fight?... It wouldn't shock me if we never see him again."

While it is unclear what Miocic's plans are going forward, if he does walk away, it will mark the end of a legendary mixed martial arts career.

Watch Ariel Helwani discuss Stipe Miocic's future below (starting at the 27:49 mark):