Jon Jones has publicly stated that his UFC 295 heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic could be his last fight, but his challenger isn’t ready to do the same.
Miocic will look to become a three-time heavyweight champion when he faces Jones in the main event of his UFC return on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden. Ahead of the blockbuster fight, Miocic remained mum on the matter.
“I’ve been thinking about it since my first UFC fight,” Miocic, who was pushing for a partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings, told MMA Fighting. “Right now I’m just focused on November 11th. That’s all I care about. When it’s over, we’ll figure it out.”
UFC 295 will mark Miocic’s first appearance in the Octagon since losing the title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021.
Miocic, the longest-reigning champion in division history, faces Ngannou for the second time on the heels of back-to-back wins over Daniel Cormier. After losing to Ngannou, he requested a trilogy with Ngannou. However, the idea of having another championship opportunity with Jones wasn’t even on his radar until Jones won the title at UFC 285 and called a match against Jones.
“no, [I didn’t think that was possible], there was a lot going on,” Miocic said. “It was tough because Francis was still there and they were trying to hold it together. Then he left and they were trying to get Jon Jones to fight. [for me]And every time we figured it out, they moved it in a different direction.
“It was a lot easier because he called out to me and I was happy with that. But [despite the dates being moved], I was sure I would get it. I wasn’t worried. ”
In a year where underdogs Alexa Grasso, Sean O’Malley and Sean Strickland defied the odds and won upset championships, Miocic wanted to add his name to that list. The 41-year-old plans to make his mark. The performance speaks for him.
“You’ll know right away when you see me coming out with the belt and everyone going, ‘And new,'” Miocic said.
