Miocic 'OK' after Ngannou loss, says he 'deviated' from game plan

Stipe Miocic made his first public statement Monday since losing the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou this past weekend at UFC 260.

The former champion said he's in good health after suffering the second-round knockout loss.

"First and foremost, I'm OK," Miocic wrote in an Instagram post. "I know that fall wasn't my most graceful fall, but I was unconscious, so it happens."

He added: "Losses aren't fun, they always sting for a while, but that's the beast of this business. You can't win them all, and it's important to understand that losing is just as much a part of sports - and life - as winning."

Miocic wrote that he felt confident heading into the second round despite clearly losing the opening frame, but he made a mistake that led to Ngannou landing the knockout blow.

"Unfortunately, I deviated from (the) game plan. ... He was getting very winded, and I came in overzealous and unprotected," Miocic wrote. "I wasn't in a good posture to take the hit. He saw the opening and did what any great fighter would have done. That was my error that I accept. It won't happen again."

The 38-year-old did not give an update on his future as a UFC fighter but wrote that he plans to spend time with his family "for now." Miocic and his wife are expecting their second child this summer.