Karl Williams did something pretty out of the ordinary after his win over Justin Tafa at UFC on ESPN 53. He challenged Stipe Miocic to a cookout. Yeah, you read that right. A cookout.
Williams had dominated Tafa on the ground, securing a unanimous decision win. But instead of the usual call-out for his next fight, he had something else in mind. During his Octagon interview, Williams threw down a unique challenge to former heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic. A barbecue cookout challenge, to be exact.
“I wanna call out if I can, Stipe Miocic,” Williams said. He mentioned how Stipe, being a firefighter, had talked about barbecuing. “This summer let’s do a charity cookout if he’s not busy,” he proposed. The idea? A friendly competition to benefit firefighters.
Williams, a barbecue enthusiast himself, shared the backstory. It turns out, the idea sparked when Miocic was chatting about barbecuing with his firefighter team. Williams, inspired by a firefighter neighbor who got injured on the job, saw a perfect opportunity for a charity event. And he didn’t stop at Miocic. Williams extended his barbecue challenge to all UFC fighters, even calling out Alexander Volkanovski for his cooking style.
At his post-fight press conference, Williams elaborated. “I talked to Stipe a while ago,” he recalled. He shared a story about his former neighbor, a firefighter injured while cleaning a fire truck. “So I was like, you know what, it’ll be a good charity for his cause.”
Williams made it clear he’s not about calling people out for fights. But for a barbecue cook-off? That’s a different story. “Anybody wanna challenge me in the barbecue, we’ll do a challenge out here, International Fight Week or something,” he said. Williams is all about fighting, having fun, and cooking.
Interestingly, Williams has evolved in his barbecue preferences. “I was a sauce guy when I was young and immature,” he admitted. But now? “I’m more of a rub guy.” He also joked about needing to manage his drinking-to-barbecuing ratio, especially when tackling brisket, to avoid going through a 24-pack of beer.
So, Williams has laid down the gauntlet. Not in the Octagon, but at the grill. It’s not just about the fight; it’s about the fun, the food, and making a difference. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll see this cookout challenge come to life.