Written by Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
When Jon Jones made quick work of Ciryl Gane back in 2023, former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic was front and center to watch it all happen.
He may not have known it at the time but Miocic immediately took center stage following that fight when Jones called him out as the opponent he most wanted to face next. Of course, Miocic gladly accepted because the chance to reclaim the heavyweight title while going up against arguably the greatest fighter of all-time was too enticing the pass up.
“He’s good at what he does,” Miocic said about Jones when speaking to MMA Fighting. “He’s an artist. He knows how to mix it up. He knows how to keep a guy guessing. That’s why he’s done so well.
“100 percent [mutual respect]. I think he’s a great fighter. I think he feels the same about me. We’re not going to feel the same way once we touch gloves. But we know it’s going to be a show. We’re going to put on a good show.”
As dominant has Jones was at 205 pounds, it’s still a little tougher to judge him as a heavyweight with only one fight on his resume after spending less than four minutes in the cage with Gane.
Miocic was absolutely impressed by that performance but he also knows he’s a much different animal with a proven track record compared to somebody like Gane. With a collegiate wrestling background combined with fast hands and brutal knockout power, Miocic isn’t cocky but he knows he’s going to give Jones the kinds of problems he’s never faced before, especially at heavyweight.
“He did what he was supposed to do [against Ciryl Gane],” Miocic said. “He got the win. I didn’t see much because it didn’t go that long. He did everything he was supposed to and got the win.
“I don’t think he has [been tested at heavyweight] but he’s fought the best in the world. But I’m different. He’ll find out. I’m going to touch that chin. I promise you that.”
In many ways, Jones is a puzzle that’s never been solved and the evidence to that fact stands with his nearly unblemished resume minus one disqualification loss in a fight he was winning handily.
A few fighters have come close to beating Jones in the past, usually in close decisions, but he’s never really been hurt to the point where a finish seemed possible. Miocic hopes to change that on Saturday night.
“I’ve got the best coaches, we’re working on everything,” Miocic said. “We’re working on every situation. I think that we’ll be ready. I know we’ll be ready. I have the best coaches in the world. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.
“I don’t want any excuses. I’m not going to make any excuses. I’m training my ass off. I’m here to fight and I’m here to win. I’m going to win.”
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Miocic heading into the fight is his return to action after sitting out for over three years with his previous appearance ending in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou back in 2021.
In a perfect world, Miocic would have returned much sooner but it just wasn’t in the cards for him after hoping he’d get a trilogy with Ngannou and then another year-long delay happened due to Jones’ injury.
For all the concerns about his time off between fights, Miocic promises that he’s been working just as hard as ever before and if anything, the extended break has actually allowed him to heal up, add a few new weapons to his arsenal and come back better than ever.
“There’s no question [I’m better],” Miocic said. “I know I have been [better than before]. I’m faster. I’m stronger. I have more of my tools. I’ve sharpened them and learned more. I’ll be ready, no question.
“I think the time off definitely is [good]. People might not think that, the critics, but I don’t really care. I know where I’m at and I know what I’ve done.”
Miocic enters the fight as a massive underdog, as much as 7-to-1 based on some betting lines, which are the biggest odds against him during his entire career.
None of that bothers him much because Miocic has been here before and he expects the sheer number of people counting him out will only make it that much sweeter when he wins.
“It’s nothing new,’ Miocic said. “There’s a lot of times [I’ve been the underdog]. The first Francis fight I was an underdog. [Fabricio] Werdum, I was the underdog. I think [Junior dos Santos] I was the underdog. A lot of fights I was the underdog. I’ll be fine.”
Miocic isn’t big on predictions but he definitely knows how he wants the fight to end because he’s already visualized it hundreds of times.
Nobody may believe he can do it right now but the 42-year-old Ohio native vows to shock the world when he finally faces Jones at UFC 309.
“Of course [I want to win] with a knockout,” Miocic said. “There’s no question. [I’ve visualized it] on repeat. Get ready to hear ‘and new.’ I promise you that.”