UFC heavyweight fighter Miocic is set to face heavyweight champion Jon Jones on November 16.
The highly anticipated battle is one for the books and has been a long time coming for both fighters. Miocic and Jones were originally supposed to fight one year ago, but Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle that took him off the card.
Jones is set to make a comeback and defend his title, but fans don’t believe Miocic is the right opponent for him. The fighter is coming off a loss and hasn’t fought in years, but he is unbothered. He thinks he has a shot against the champ.
Although many want a fight between interim champ Tom Aspinall and heavyweight champ Jones, Miocic says the decision was not up to him.
“It wasn’t my choice,” Miocic told MMA Fighting. “It’s a fight I wanted, and the UFC gave it to me. They didn’t have to. They gave it to me.”
Aspinall, on the other hand, has been calling for a fight with Jones and has amassed a number of career successes. The interim champ believes the fight should be his. Miocic agrees with the Briton and has much respect for the fighter, but he says a fight with Jones is what fans in the MMA world want to see right now.
“I believe so [there’s a reason why it’s happening],” Miocic said. “I believe people want to see that. And, I think a lot more people want to know the fight than he fights Aspinall.
“[Tom Aspinall is] tough. He hits hard. Big boy. It’s what people want, he knocks people out.”
Miocic has been on a break since his KO loss to Francis Ngannou in 2021. He pushed for a trilogy fight but was unable to get it, as Ngannou soon left the UFC to fight as a free agent. Despite not being active in the ring since 2021, Miocic says he has been training and preparing himself for a battle with Jones. He acknowledges that the champ will be a tough opponent to beat, but he is confident in himself and has little regard for what fans or others have to say about the fight.
“I don’t listen to anything on the outside,” Miocic said. “I used to when I was younger, when I started, I was like, why would you say that? How dare you? I was really sensitive. I literally stopped caring anymore. And I don’t care what anyone says. I really don’t care.”
“I think every fight, I’m always preparing for my last one,” Miocic said. “ But I always thought about retiring after my first UFC fight. I say that all the time. Who wants to get beat up for 10 weeks or 12 weeks, come back, and do it again?
“I love what I do and it’s fun. So we’ll see but right now my task at hand is Jon. That’s all I care about. That’s what I’m thinking about.”
“When I do beat him, it’s going to be great,” Miocic said. “100 percent [that would be a great exclamation point on the career].”
Although nothing is stamped yet, Miocic has long hinted at retirement and believes defeating Jones will be a benchmark for him and also a worthy retirement present.
