Jon Jones had a busy night on Twitter.
The reigning UFC heavyweight champion decided to come out of hiding, targeting the general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic. Bones’ and Miocic are slated to scrap inside the Octagon later this year. Unfortunately, the highly anticipated matchup won’t take place in July during the promotion’s annual International Fight Week festivities as once expected.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, UFC President Dana White squashed the possibility of a heavyweight showdown between the two behemoths this summer, noting that Jon Jones had seemingly disappeared after his UFC 285 destruction of the division’s top contender, Ciryl Gane.
“Poof, Jon Jones goes back underground and [he said], ‘Let me know when the Stipe fight’s done,’” White said. “He is a fascinating, talented artist to deal with. I haven’t heard a word out of him.”
Miocic was quick to throw in his two cents, suggesting that Jon Jones was the one running from a fight after ‘Bones’ claimed the former two-time titleholder had ducked him for the entirety of 2022. “Weird… because last month you said I was the one running,” Miocic wrote in response to the video clip.
Reemerging on social media around the same time that Max Holloway was putting on another striking clinic against Arnold Allen at UFC Kansas City, Jon Jones took another dig at his would-be challenger.
“I lay low for a few weeks and then you convince yourself that I’m afraid of you,” Jones tweeted to Miocic. “Whatever you need to tell yourself old timer.”
Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic Could Be Headed to the World’s Most Famous Arena
During the UFC Kansas City post-fight press event on Saturday night, Dana White confirmed that the promotion was targeting a return to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, this fall. That is nothing out of the ordinary as the promotion has run November events at the iconic venue in 2019, 2021, and 2022. White offered no additional details, but a tweet by Jon Jones may have revealed when and where his heavyweight war with Stipe Miocic will take place.
When asked about the initially proposed summertime setting, Jon Jones confirmed that is no longer on the docket. “I think UFC has other plans for us,” Jones tweeted.
Asked if a November duel at MSG was likely, ‘Bones’ played coy.
Not saying
https://t.co/QZSOAng3gg
— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 16, 2023
If the bout has been in fact moved to November, fans will have to bear the burden of waiting a little longer for the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history, but you couldn’t ask for a better setting than NYC’s MSG.