"He is an artist" - Stipe Miocic shares insights on what makes Jon Jones so dominant, says he is the "toughest" match-up for 'Bones' 

Stipe Miocic praised Jon Jones' fighting skills ahead of their upcoming UFC 309 fight. Jones will attempt his first heavyweight title defense against the former two-time champion at the event. It marks a significant milestone in their respective careers, which could impact their legacies in the sport.

'Bones' is considered among the greatest combat sports athletes in history and has never tasted defeat outside the controversial DQ loss against Matt Hamill in 2009. During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Miocic shared his thoughts on what makes Jones a great fighter:

"I think he's just good at what he does. He's an artist! He knows how to mix it up. He knows how to keep a guy guessing him, you know... That's why he's done so well."

'Bones' is a betting favorite heading into the fight and many expect him to pull off a dominant victory on Nov. 16 given Mioicic's age and recent inactivity. The 42-year-old has not competed since losing the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou in March 2021.

However, Miocic thinks he is a tough matchup for all his opponents, including Jones. He explained:

"I think any fight I have, I am the toughest matchup for them because it's not just me, it's my coaches, you know. We always come with a great game plan. They improvise and make everything right. As long as I go to the game plan, listen [to my coaches], we'll be good."

Check out Stipe Miocic's comments below (2:26):

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There will be no mutual respect once Stipe Miocic touches gloves with Jon Jones

Despite the high stakes, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic have not engaged in trash talk or other promotional tactics to promote their upcoming fight. In the aforementioned interview with MMA Fighting, Miocic said that there is mutual respect between them but it will not matter when they enter the octagon at UFC 309.

"Yeah, 100 percent. I think he is the greatest fighter and I think he feels the same about me, you know. We're not going to feel the same way once we touch the gloves. But we know it's going to be a show and [we will] put on a good show." [6:52]

When asked to speak about how he feels to be the underdog, Miocic said:

"Nothing new for me, in the first Francis fight, I was an underdog... I think against JDS, I was an underdog. I'll be fine." [7:30]

While many have ruled out Miocic's chances against the champion, Jones seems to be approaching the fight with a serious attitude. In a recent social media post, 'Bones' shared pictures of him doing a tape study on Miocic, presumably to figure out tendencies and formulate a game plan to beat him.