UFC president Dana White continues to promote a potential return to action for Jon Jones against former heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic.
Could we see former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones return to fight greatest UFC heavyweight ever Stipe Miocic this summer? In an interim (or perhaps even undisputed) heavyweight title fight?
There’s a lot of factors in the way of getting the fight done. Jon Jones wants a pay bump for his move to heavyweight. Stipe Miocic is feeling disrespected after being refused a rematch against Francis Ngannou. And the UFC has been perfectly content leaving both men on the sidelines if their demands aren’t considered ‘reasonable.’ But UFC president Dana White was talking to TMZ Sports recently and said Jones vs. Miocic was a fight he wanted to make.
“People have been talking about how awesome this [UFC 274] card is, and I was just telling someone the other day our lineup this summer is incredible,” White said. “So I’m hoping that Jon Jones is going to be a part of that lineup this summer. Stipe makes sense.”
Who knows what the matchmaking whiteboard in UFC headquarters looks like, but the current card for UFC 276 on International Fight Weekend is looking pretty sparse. There’s nothing confirmed but Miesha Tate vs. Lauren Murphy and Jessica Eye vs. Casey O’Neill. A Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight at the top of that card (or on any card) would instantly make the UFC’s summer schedule look pretty incredible.
Can the UFC finally sort things out with Jon Jones to make this a reality? White has certainly warmed up to discussing Jones’ return as a feasible possibility, which is a big step forward from saying he thought “Bones” might never fight again. As always, we’ll keep you in the loop as the news develops.