Jon Jones' UFC heavyweight debut is seemingly going to finally happen. Dana White recently named two opponents that 'Bones' will face upon returning to the MMA organization.
The UFC president stated on The Jim Rome Show that Jones will either face Stipe Miocic or Francis Ngannou on his UFC heavyweight debut.
Dana White also said that a potential bout with Ngannou would depend on the heavyweight champion's fitness. The Cameroonian is currently sidelined due to a knee injury.
While discussing Jones' next fight, White stated:
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"We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic."
The fastest bout to make seems to be Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, with 'Bones' stating that he would be willing to fight the heavyweight as soon as next month. On Twitter, Jones had said that Miocic needed until September to become fully fit and ready to compete, which 'Bones' was patiently waiting for.
However, a few days ago, Jones once again updated everyone on his Twitter profile, this time mentioning Francis Ngannou instead. 'Bones' stated that the heavyweight champion is "back on the table" and that a bout could happen in November.
Michael Bisping believes Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic will "probably" be for an interim belt
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently spoke about Jon Jones' potential heavyweight debut within the UFC on his YouTube channel.
Bisping believes that 'Bones' will probably face Stipe Miocic next and also feels that the bout will be for an interim UFC belt.
The former UFC champion also believes that if Jones becomes interim heavyweight champion, he will go on to face Francis Ngannou in his next bout. While speaking on his YouTube live stream, Bisping said:
"Jon Jones, greatest of all time, probably gonna do fantastic things at heavyweight. Probably Stipe Miocic, probably an interim belt, probably fights Francis Ngannou if he wins that one. So there's a lot to look forward to..."
Watch the full YouTube live stream here:
It's clear that both the UFC and 'Bones' are keen to make at least one of these heavyweight bouts happen soon. However, with Ngannou recently struggling with a knee injury, the champion might need more time to recover, despite positive whispers from Jones' Twitter posts.
This leaves Miocic as the most likely opponent. It makes perfect sense given that both fighters will be keen on a title shot and both have the credibility within the UFC to sell PPVs for the organization.