The former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic accepted the challenge of the newly crowned heavyweight champion Jon Jones and revealed a potential date for their highly-anticipated showdown.
In the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Jones gloriously made his comeback to the octagon. But nonetheless, as soon as the fight was over, he set his sights on Stipe, another American heavyweight fighter, and looks like Stipe accepted the challenge.
Miocic sat beside the cage watching Jones do a guillotine choke to defeat Cyril Gane in the first round of the bout and call him out directly during the octagon interview, saying, “Stipe Miocic, I hope you’ve been training my guy. You are the greatest Heavyweight of all time, and that’s what I want. And I want you, real bad.”
It was just a matter of time before we found out what Stipe thought about their battle after Jones’ call-out. The 40-year-old heavyweight did not back down but rather reacted to Jones’ challenge in an interview with Brett Okamoto expressing his desire to end Jon’s heavyweight rule when they square off in July.
“It’s a fight, you know. He won, good for him, You know, hats off. But unfortunately, he’s gotta fight me in July. I wanted that fight, unfortunately, I didn’t get it. And now I have to wait until July.” said Miocic.
Stipe Miocic is 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹-𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 as he gets ready for a showdown with Jon Jones 😤
(via #TheMMAHour) pic.twitter.com/BST6NDI38l
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) March 6, 2023
The Silencer, one of the UFC’s all-time heavyweight greats, acknowledges Jones’ size but believes he is bigger and capable of defeating him. The veteran fighter, since suffering a defeat against former champion Francis Zavier Ngannou in 2021, has not entered into the octagon but he is taking one fight at a time at the moment.
“He’s big. Obviously, he’s a big boy, 6’4, 247 or something like that. “I’m bigger than that, so that’s okay. I will take him out. I’ll stop him. That’s what’s gonna happen. I mean yeah, we’ll see what happens. But I mean, listen, one fight at a time. But yeah, 100%. Sh*t’s gonna go my way.” Miocic further added.
Stipe Miocic responds to Jon Jones saying ‘to take time off being a firefighter’ for their upcoming fight pic.twitter.com/W1c2WwaOZS
— MMAFPress (@MMAFPress) March 6, 2023
Who do you think will win when the two American heavyweights finally square off?
Jon Jones will win this fight hands down..age against stipe….Jon has a longer reach…Jon is also stronger look at pounds he deadlift…and he’s an unpredictable fighter. Jons like a hungry lion…..how do you prepare for the unknown……Stipe good luck with that