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If you're wondering whether Stipe Miocic will be an interested observer on May 9 when heavyweight sluggers Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik square off at UFC 249, he is. But it comes with a fairly large asterisk. 

Miocic (19-3), the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, doesn't care who wins the fight even though it has the potential to serve as a No. 1 contender's bout should Daniel Cormier decide not to seek a trilogy. 

The reason? The 37-year-old Miocic believes neither have a chance at defeating him. 

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"Look, I think it's a great fight. Those two guys are big boys and they throw hard," Miocic told CBS Sports' "State of Combat" podcast on Thursday. "But I know that I would still walk out with the belt around my waist."

Miocic is fresh off a pair of classic title duels with Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) that saw both heavyweights trade knockout wins. The fight before that, at UFC 220 in 2018, Miocic weathered a heavy storm early to outpoint and expose Ngannou in his third title defense. 

While the champion has respect for the evolution of Ngannou (14-3) in the meantime, which has included first-round demolitions of Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, it's still not enough. 

"I fought Francis and he's definitely a tough guy. He's strong, hits hard and moves well for a big guy," Miocic said. "It could be a quick [fight] for one of them or a slugfest for three rounds. But whoever it is, I don't care. I never have. I just fight. 

"[Rozenstruik] is definitely tough too and both he and Francis have definitely evolved a lot better. But [even though Ngannou] has worked on some mistakes, if we do fight again, you are still going to see me walking around with the belt still strapped around my waist. He definitely did change a few things but he is not going to take what is mine." 

Miocic has endured a quarantine season during the current coronavirus pandemic that has been much different than that of his contemporaries. Along with fulfilling his wife's "honey do" list by improving his carpentry skills around the house, his main focus has been serving on the frontline as a firefighter and paramedic in his native Ohio. 

"It is crazy and we have to do a lot of precautions," Miocic said. "We go on calls and wear masks, goggles and gloves. If we have to, we even put an apron on. It's a little bit more hectic and we have to be conscious of what we do. My mindset is to make sure everyone around me, especially my family, is OK. My main focus is getting past the pandemic."

Miocic is also doing his part to help other first responders through his work as a spokesman for Modelo, which is using Cinco de Mayo to raise money to provide resources. Modelo will donate $1 to the First Responders First Initiative (up to $500,000) for every public social media post on Tuesday, May 5, using the hashtag #CincUp.

The idea of fighting has taken a fairly large backseat for Miocic, mostly because his gym remains closed and could be one of the last types of business to open in Ohio. Still, Miocic believes he will return to the Octagon in 2020 at some point and praised the recent decision made by two-division women's champion Amanda Nunes to push off her title defense against Felicia Spencer for at least a month so she can get a full training camp. 

"I can see it on both ends; it's a two-way street," Miocic said. "Some just want to fight, which is great but I enjoy training and going in the gym. I love that sweat, talking to my coaches and teammates and getting better and learning. That's what I miss more than anything. Not so much about the fights but just getting in the gym and having my routine. 

"But I agree [with Nunes] 100%. I want to make sure I have a full camp. It's not just a three-round fight. it's a five-round fight and I'll be fighting a very good fighter whether it's DC or not. She's exactly right. I would rather have a full camp and not just go through it for a paycheck. I worked hard for what I get and I'm not going to sit there and do a half camp. If I lost it, look at what I would lose."

So about that third DC fight. Cormier, the 41-year-old former UFC champion in two divisions, has said he would only return for one more fight before retiring if it's against Miocic. In recent interviews, Cormier has hinted that he's currently training and hopes the fight can come late summer. 

From Miocic's standpoint, nothing has been decided yet by UFC brass. 

"I don't care what happens. I'll fight whoever," Miocic said. "If it's DC, it's DC. Talking about my next defense, whatever UFC wants, I am down. The last fight might have started out a little slow but this time won't be like that and I'll be a lot better and more prepared."

Whenever asked about Cormier, the reaction from Miocic has been decidedly unemotional ever since their rematch last August when Miocic rallied to finish DC after breaking him down to the body in Round 4. Asked whether it's important that his title reign not end without such a potentially historic fight and one which, once and for all, would crown the greatest heavyweight in UFC history, Miocic bluntly said no. 

But pressed even further as to why he so openly lacks an emotional connection to an opponent -- and a rivalry, as a whole -- that may end up linking the two fighters as MMA's answer to Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in terms of legendary heavyweight rivalries, Miocic's clever response didn't change his true feelings.

"No. I'm a married man, I don't know where you are going with this [emotional connection]," Miocic said. "Just joking. Look, I go out there and do my thing and never try to get too emotional. It's the task at hand, I always say that. I only care about the task at hand. If they say DC, we will do it for a third time and nothing is going to change."