Joe Burrow gets a shoutout from UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic

The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback received a shoutout from UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic ahead of his title fight on Saturday.

Joe Burrow gained a huge following of fans during his impressive senior season at LSU that ended with him winning the Heisman trophy and the CFP National Championship. Burrow gained even more fans in his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals, including noted Cleveland Browns fan LeBron James. As of this week, another prominent athlete has joined the “Joe Burrow Fan Club.”

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is defending his title against top contender Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 on Saturday. During a press conference on Thursday, the Browns fan could not help but give some heaping praise for the Bengals quarterback after it was suggested that he could be in attendance for the title fight in Las Vegas.

Bengals: Joe Burrow has a new fan in UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic

“Well I mean, they’re from Ohio, they’re not my No. 1 team,” Miocic said. “I love that dude, I think he’s a hell of a quarterback. After he walked out of the national title with a cigar out of his mouth, that’s baller. That’s pretty sweet.”

Burrow showed the Browns and their fanbase what he is made of and what a challenge he could be to face twice a year. In the teams’ first meeting in Week 2, Burrow completed 37-of-61 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns in the 35-30 loss to Cleveland. In Week 7, Burrow threw for 406 yards, three touchdowns and one interception all while completing 74.5-percent of his passes (35-of-47) in the 37-34 defeat.

To make those performances that much more iconic, they came while Burrow was running for his life behind a turnstile of an offensive line. His lack of protection in the pocket would become his undoing in Week 11 against the Washington Football Team, as he tore his ACL after defensive lineman Jonathan Allen inadvertently fell onto his left leg when getting pushed backward by offensive guard Mike Jordan.

Burrow is looking to return and pick up where he left off in 2021 following his recovery. The Bengals have already provided him with some offensive line help in the form of right tackle Riley Reiff and could potentially select one of Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater with the fifth-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. If not a lineman with the first-round pick, the Bengals could provide Burrow with a playmaker in the form of one of the top receivers on the board (Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith) or tight end Kyle Pitts.

But let the record show that Miocic joins LeBron as prominent Cleveland Browns fans who have nothing but respect for Burrow’s game.