Former two-time undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic appears poised to challenge recently minted division kingpin, Jon Jones for gold at UFC 290 in July. And is supremely confident of handling him his first legitimate professional loss.
Miocic, a former two-time undisputed heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, has been sidelined since March 2021, suffering a thunderous second round KO loss to former champion, Francis Ngannou in the pair’s rematch.
As for Jones, the Endicott native headlined UFC 285 last Saturday in his Octagon return, stopping Ciryl Gane with a stunning guillotine choke inside just two minutes, clinching the vacant heavyweight title.
However, prior to the event, Ohio veteran, Stipe Miocic revealed the UFC had offered him a return in July during International Fight Week at UFC 290 – against either Jones or Gane.
And in the immediate aftermath of UFC 285, Dana White confirmed Jones would be making his first title defense opposite division favorite, Miocic this summer.
Stipe Miocic confident of win over Jon Jones
Fancying his chances of landing gold for a third time in a matchup against look-see-do standout, Jones – Miocic claimed that it “sucks” that the newly minted champion will soon lose his seat on the throne.
“I know that [Jon Jones has never legitimately lost],” Stipe Miocic told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “It sucks that he’s going to lose. He’s going [to have] a big ‘one’ [on his record]. I’m not going to imagine it. It’s going to happen.”
A two-time titleholder at the heavyweight limit, Miocic, who was urged to turn his back on firefighting for the time being by Jones post-UFC 285, holds two wins over common-foe, Daniel Cormier.
In his most recent victory, Miocic defeated former two-weight champion, Cormier back in August 2020, successfully defending his title in a trilogy rubber match.
Former champion Stipe Miocic predicts he will walk away with the heavyweight crown against Jon Jones at the UFC’s International Fight Week in July. ‘Bones’ Jones vacated his light heavyweight title in 2020 and began planning a move to heavyweight. At UFC 285 this past weekend, the US-born athlete achieved his goal. He earned a […]