Getty Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic
Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is all in on fighting current king Jon Jones next. And he said during a recent interview on MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour” that it’ll “suck” handing “Bones” his first true defeat.
Jones won the vacant championship on March 4 when he defeated No. 1-ranked contender Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones, who hadn’t fought in three years and was making his debut at heavyweight, reminded viewers why he’s considered by many as the greatest fighter of all time.
He needed only a few minutes to take out “Bon Gamin,” winning the fight via guillotine choke at 2:04 of the opening round. Jones called out Miocic after the fight once UFC color commentator Joe Rogan suggested they battle at UFC 290 on July 8 as part of the promotion’s International Fight Week.
Miocic appeared on Ariel Helwani’s show this Monday to react to Jones’ win and callout. Miocic confirmed his interest in fighting Bones in July while also sharing his confidence that he’ll regain his old belt.
“I’m going to win, there’s no question,” Miocic said. “There’s no question.”
“I know that [he’s never lost,]” Miocic added. “It sucks that he’s going to lose. He’s going [to have] a big ‘one.’ I’m not going to imagine it, it’s going to happen.”
Of course, Jones has one loss on his record. Sitting at 27-1 with one no contest, Bones’ sole defeat came when he was disqualified for using illegal elbows against Matt Hamill in 2009.
Miocic Admitted He Wasn’t Expecting Jones to Be So Dominant Against Gane
Like many, Miocic expected the UFC 285 headliner to be much more competitive than what actually transpired. So, the American praised Bones for his work inside the cage.
“I thought I was going with Ciryl in beginning of the week, but the more I talked about it with other people, the more I thought about it, I thought it was more even,” Miocic said. “I just said if Ciryl keeps it on the feet, he picks him apart, him all day. It’s still going to be a great fight, but I thought if Jon used his wrestling it’s going to be a long night for Ciryl. I was not ready for that. I thought it was going to be a big war for five rounds, but I was definitely wrong. Good for Jon.”
With the loss, Gane’s professional mixed martial arts record fell to 11-2, and he’s 1-2 in his last three outings. With both losses coming because of his grappling inabilities against the heavyweight elite, it’s clear the Frenchman needs to spend a meaningful amount of time working on the deficit.
Miocic Lost the Heavyweight Strap in His Last Fight When He Was Stopped By Francis Ngannou
It was a rough time inside the cage for Miocic during his last outing. He rematched Francis Ngannou as champion, but “The Predator” showed off his improved game.
Ngannou managed to keep the fight on his feet while utilizing his patented power and he knocked out Miocic to claim the throne at UFC 260 in March 2021. Ngannou went on to defend the belt against Gane before vacating it and leaving the promotion in January.
Miocic has yet to compete since his two-fight win streak was snapped.