Following his elite performance against Ciryl Gane and his subsequent title win at UFC 285, Jon Jones called out Stipe Miocic as his next opponent. But how good is the heavyweight?
In a weight class with a deep history, the legend is considered one of, if not the, greatest to ever compete inside the cage. The veteran is the longest-running UFC heavyweight champion and has defended his belt four times over two reigns.
Miocic's most recent wins in the octagon both came against Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier. After falling to a defeat to the Olympian, the 40-year-old rallied back, scoring a knockout of his own before earning a decision win. This made the series 2-1 in his favor, ultimately sending 'DC' into retirement.
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Another huge win for the heavyweight came when he managed to silence the doubters and overwhelm the then-undefeated Francis Ngannou back at UFC 220.
'The Predator' was on top of the world heading into his first-ever title fight following his devastating knockout of Alistair Overeem. Stipe managed to weather the power of his opponent and put on a grappling clinic as he dominated the Cameroonian for the entirety of the bout.
Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, and Andrei Arlovski are all legends who fell victim to Miocic's prowess. Alongside the big-name victories, the vet beat well-known competitors like Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, and Gabriel Gonzaga.
Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic: When will the two meet in the octagon?
In the build-up to Jon Jones' monumental return to combat sports, Stipe Miocic announced that the promotion had promised that he would be next in line for the winner of the UFC 285 headliner.
After getting his hands raised, 'Bones' shouted out the consensus greatest heavyweight of all time. This means that the two are more than likely to collide in the cage next, but when will that be?
According to Stipe Miocic, the UFC had plans to book the two titans to face one another during International Fight Week in July. With Jones coming out of his fight unscathed, it's all set for the company's plans to unfold.