Stipe Miocic has decided to make a career out of it.

Following his third-round injury against Jon Jones at UFC 309 on Saturday night, Miocic announced his retirement from the sport, ending a remarkable career orchestrated by the fighter from Euclid, Ohio.

“I’m done,” Miocic said. “I’ll hang them up.”

Despite the loss, Miocic remains widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history.

“He’s one of the greatest heavyweights ever,” UFC CEO Dana White told ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. “You can’t deny Stipe. Stipe is (No. 1 or No. 2) of all time.”

Miocic made his UFC debut in 2011 after going 6-0 on the regional stage, winning three straight fights before suffering a TKO loss to Stefan Struve in 2012. Miocic methodically climbed back up the rankings with wins over Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabio Maldonado before suffering his second career loss to former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

That second setback set the stage for a historic heavyweight run.

After victories over Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski, Miocic earned a title shot against then-champ Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in 2016. Werdum was on a remarkable run, going undefeated for nearly five years. But Miocic put an end to that with a first-round knockout to claim UFC gold.

Miocic reigned as champion for the next 784 days, making a trio of successful title defenses against Alistair Overeem, dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. To date, Miocic holds the UFC record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three.

He dropped the title to then-light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in 2018, and the two would embark on an epic trilogy. Miocic claimed the title by knockout a year later at UFC 241 and won the rubber match at UFC 252 in 2020, with a decision that sent Cormier into retirement.

Now it’s time for Miocic to say goodbye to a legendary career.

After losing his title in a rematch against Ngannou in 2021, Miocic was out of action for more than three years before stepping back into the Octagon for the final time on Saturday against the man considered by most to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

This version of Miocic was very different from the one that dominated the heavyweight division. He was unsure of himself and a step too slow against Jones. Miocic was taken down early in the first round and drilled with elbows for most of the round while pinned to the canvas. In the second round, Miocic struggled to get an offense going as Jones hit kicks to the body and staggered the former champion with a hard right hand.

Miocic tried to put together a winning combination in the third round and resorted to chasing Jones around the Octagon. But he got a spinning back kick to the liver that sent him crashing to the ground.

Miocic leaves with a handful of records in the UFC heavyweight division, including most combined title defenses (4), most finishes in title fights (4), most postfight bonuses (9) and tied with Randy Couture for most title fight wins (6 ).

Perhaps as remarkable as his career as a mixed martial artist is his dedication to his community. During his time in combat, Miocic built a career as a firefighter and paramedic in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. The father of two children continues to work full-time in the fire service.