Stipe
Miocic didn’t seem as impressed with Jon Jones’
heavyweight debut as the rest of the world was after UFC 285.
Advertisement
Jones captured the vacant heavyweight strap with a first-round
submission of Ciryl Gane
in Saturday’s main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on
Saturday. The victory sets up a showdown with Miocic at a future
event. The target date for that bout is rumored to be UFC 290 on
July 8, but nothing is currently set in stone.
“Honestly, I thought it was going to a decision,” Miocic said
during the UFC 285 post-fight show on ESPN+. “I didn’t know how Jon
was, he took three years off but hats off to him. You see some
things, I’ll keep them to myself but I definitely see some things
[I can use].
“It’s a fight, he won, good for him. Hats off, but unfortunately
he’s got to fight me in July.”
While much was made of the size Jones added to make the transition
to heavyweight, Miocic pointed out that everyone in the division is
pretty big. He also promised that he’ll bring a different challenge
to Jones than what Gane provided.
“He’s a big boy. “He’s 6-foot-4, 247 [pounds] or something like
that, “Miocic said. “I’m bigger than that. We’re all big boys at
heavyweight. I actually weigh more than both of them right now. I
actually weigh 253 [pounds] so it’s kind of nice.
“I think a lot of things [about the fight]. Just something he
hasn’t seen before. I know it’s cliché and everyone says it but
honestly that’s the truth.”
As far as preparation, Miocic doesn’t plan to alter much as he
prepares for the former light heavyweight champion.
“Nothing’s going to change,” Miocic said. “I’m going to train my
ass off and I’m going to beat that ass. Yes, 100 percent no
questions [I want July]. I wanted this fight in March, it just
didn’t work out. They gave it to Ciryl but unfortunately I’ll wait
until July, it’s fine.
“You’ll see in July. You’ll see what the difference is, I’ll tell
you right now.”
Miocic hasn’t competed since UFC 260 on March 27, 2021, when he
relinquished the heavyweight crown in a second-round knockout loss
to Francis
Ngannou. The Ohio-based firefighter still holds the promotion
record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three
and has two championship reigns to his credit. Miocic owns notable
wins over the likes of Daniel
Cormier (twice), Ngannou, Junior dos
Santos, Alistair
Overeem, Fabricio
Werdum, Andrei
Arlovski, Mark Hunt,
Gabriel
Gonzaga and Roy Nelson.