Written by Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Don’t expect Stipe Miocic to get drawn into a war of words with Jon Jones.
With just days remaining until they meet in the UFC 309 main event, the seemingly respectful showdown took an odd turn after UFC Countdown aired prior to fight week. In the feature, Miocic said “bring it on, bitch” when addressing Jones and that apparently upset the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, who took to social media to fire back at his upcoming opponent.
“Hiring black fighters to mimic me will not help you, Stipe,” Jones wrote. “And you shouldn’t have called me a bitch, the disrespect wasn’t necessary. Let’s play.”
Hiring black fighters to mimic me will not help you Stipe. And you shouldn’t have called me a bitch, the disrespect wasn’t necessary. Let’s play. #UFCcountdown
— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 11, 2024
Miocic has no idea why Jones got so rattled by such an innocuous comment, but he’s not spending a lot of time thinking about it.
“I keep talking about that,” Miocic said during UFC 309 media day. “He was literally telling everyone he was going to beat my ass. I’m almost positive. Did he not say that before [I called him a bitch]? Sorry. Talk shit about me but whatever.”
If anything got Miocic heated it was Jones’ claim that he was “hiring Black fighters” to help him prepare for the fight.
“That was bullshit because they’re my teammates,” Miocic said. “They’re like, ‘We’re not getting paid?’ Apparently, I’m hiring people, too. Whatever.”
Throughout his career, Jones has engaged in a few tense rivalries, perhaps none uglier than his longstanding feud with Daniel Cormier. He also went through something similar with former teammate Rashad Evans after Jones became UFC champion while they were originally training under the same coaches.
Perhaps Jones’ comments towards Miocic are a way to get him more amped up for the fight or maybe it’s just a promotional tool to stir up more pay-per-view buys. Whatever the case, Miocic doesn’t really care much about what Jones has to say about him.
“Maybe [that’s what he needs to get motivated], maybe not,” Miocic said. “I don’t know what he’s thinking but some of the stuff, I’m just like OK. I literally had no idea [what he said] until somebody told me. It’s funny. It’s just comical. It’s actually very funny.”
It turns out his philosophy of not paying much attention to what’s said about him was an epiphany for Miocic that changed his career forever.
In the past, he admits that off-handed comments from fighters or fans would get under his skin, but Miocic learned over time that none of it really matters.
“In the beginning of my career, I was a little sensitive about it,” Miocic said. “You don’t know me, I don’t know you but why are you saying shit like that to me? I would get terrible [direct messages] and stuff. Like what is wrong with you? You don’t know me.
“But I literally just stopped caring because I realized, they don’t know me, I don’t know them. They’re just pissed off about something and they’re just trying to take it out on me. I could care less honestly. It’s the best thing I ever did in my life.”
Just because he doesn’t give fiery comments any oxygen doesn’t mean that Miocic has escaped that kind of vitriol coming his way. The difference these days, much like with what Jones had to say about him, is that Miocic pretty much just ignores it and moves on.
“You get hate all the time,” Miocic said. “You get DMs all the time [saying,] ‘You’re a piece of shit, I hope you die.’ Whatever. It is what it is.”