Jon Jones is firmly focused on his upcoming showdown with Stipe Miocic and isn't underestimating his opponent.
Follow Us
Jon Jones is firmly focused on his upcoming showdown with Stipe Miocic and isn’t underestimating his opponent. Scheduled for November, Jones will put his UFC heavyweight championship on the line in the main event of UFC 295.
Despite oddsmakers favoring Jones due to Miocic’s age of 41 and a 32-month hiatus, Jones remains adamant that he’s fully engaged in the fight and acknowledges the threats Miocic presents as the date of UFC 295 approaches.
“I feel like when you get to a place when you don’t feel anything is probably when it’s time to hang it up and try something different,” Jones said on the OverDogs podcast. “At this point, I still get really nervous, man. I have nightmares about my opponents. About every hour, Stipe Miocic will cross my mind. He will cross my mind. I could be having a drink, you name it, he crosses my mind. I could be at my kid’s volleyball game and I thinking about Stipe. There’s a lot of mental that goes into it that I don’t think people realize. But the goal is to just conquer that.”
Read More: Conor McGregor’s manager Audie Attar reveals UFC star’s potential WWE venture
While Stipe Miocic is undeniably celebrated as the most decorated heavyweight in UFC annals, his absence from competition dates back to his knockout defeat against Francis Ngannou during their UFC 260 rematch.
Nevertheless, Jon Jones remains unwavering in his belief that the bout with Miocic is the most logical choice. This decision is rooted in both fighters’ storied careers and the prevailing assumption that Miocic is poised to retire following this pivotal clash, despite the emergence of a cadre of formidable contenders in the heavyweight division.
“Stipe has balls. He has courage,” Jones said. “He’s not the youngest fighter, but that is a man. That is a man. I’m not the youngest either. In sports’ years, I’m over the hill, that’s for sure. Especially in combat sports. Stipe, he’s an honorable dude, and I know that he’s a man at the end of the day, and I know that he wants this fight. Everyone else thinks that his back’s against the wall and this is a David and Goliath situation for him. I disagree. I think Stipe is a very capable athlete and I think I owe it to Stipe to give him that chance to fight the best fighter ever. And I think Stipe owes it to me to give me a chance to fight the greatest heavyweight ever.”
However, what lies beyond the Miocic showdown for Jones? The path forward may entail contemplating retirement, as Jones concedes that facing opponents like Sergei Pavlovich or Tom Aspinall holds limited allure for him, especially given their current career stages.
In the event that Jones decides to step away following UFC 295, whether as a permanent retirement or a hiatus, the fighter widely regarded as the greatest of all time is confident that the heavyweight division will thrive under new leadership in his absence.
Read More: Conor McGregor’s deleted Instagram post sparks speculation after USADA deadline mishap
For more UFC news
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
