Stipe Miocic reveals physical and mental benefits of extended layoff ahead of Jon Jones fight at UFC 309 

Stipe Miocic will return to competition for the first time since 2021 when he faces Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 309. While lengthy periods of inactivity are not recommended for fighters, the heavyweight recently shared the benefits he found in taking time away from MMA.

His previous bout came against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260, where the Ohio native suffered a brutal knockout defeat to lose the heavyweight title. Now, at the age of 42, Miocic admitted that his extended layoff allowed both his body and his mind to make a full recovery.

Fans have also noted that the former champion appears more muscular ahead of his return.

The title challenger was recently interviewed by Shakiel Mahjouri, where he shared the benefits gained from his time off from fighting:

"Recharging my whole body. My mind, my body, just making sure I'm healed up and feeling good. I'm good."

Check out Stipe Miocic's comments below (6:40):

Should he defeat 'Bones' at UFC 309, Miocic has the chance to join Randy Couture as the second fighter to become a three-time UFC heavyweight champion.

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Tom Aspinall shares Stipe Miocic's best chance of beating Jon Jones

Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones will go to war on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden. Should both fighters make it to the octagon on the night, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will be cage-side potentially watching his next opponent be decided.

The title challenger is known for his crisp boxing skillset and holds ten knockout wins at heavyweight. Meanwhile, Jones is regarded as one of the most well-rounded MMA fighters in history. In his divisional debut against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, he secured a submission win in Round 1.

Aspinall recently discussed Miocic's best path to victory during an interview with Red Corner MMA, saying:

"It's pretty simple, punch him in the face really hard. That's the way he's gonna win. Stipe has got a lot of knockouts on his record. We don't know if Jones' power, he's not really known for his power anyway, how does that look at heavyweight? It's still a bit of a question mark, whereas we know Stipe, even at 42 or 43 years old...we think he still has that power."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments on Stipe Miocic below (1:35):