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Stipe Miocic is bummed about Jon Jones.
Miocic was supposed to challenge Jones for the UFC heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 295 on Nov. 11. Unfortunately, the matchup that was being billed as the Greatest of All Time vs. the Greatest Heavyweight of All Time will no longer be taking place this year, as Jones suffered a pectoral injury that forced him off the card. It was a devastating blow for Miocic, who opened up about how everything went down in a video posted to his Only Fans.
“How did I feel when I woke up today? Like I got kicked in the nuts,” Miocic said. “In the morning, I woke up to my phone vibrating. It was dark, I had my son on top of me, trying to move and get my phone. I finally got my phone and had a text message from my manager saying my fight was off. I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night. I was supposed to fight Jon Jones in about two weeks in New York, UFC 295, Madison Square Garden. I was pretty excited about that. Actually really excited. I guess he tore something in his chest. Unfortunately that happens. It’s part of the game. Hopefully he gets better and feels better, but what happens now. Do I fight somebody else? I don’t know.”
If Miocic does fight someone else, it won’t be at UFC 295, as instead of replacing Jones, the UFC replaced both fighters, creating an interim title fight between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall, which now serves as the co-main event to the light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira. UFC CEO Dana White said that the promotion didn’t even offer Miocic a replacement fight and instead intends to re-book the Jones fight next year. And that’s alright by Miocic.
“I don’t know why I didn’t get picked, which is fine,” Miocic said. “I understand they have a direction they want to go. I’m okay with that. Every guy in the division is tough. I definitely want to fight the biggest fish, which is Jon Jones. It wasn’t my choice, it was theirs. Listen, everything happens for a reason. The fight being canceled, it sucks. No question about it. Unfortunately that’s just the game we’re in. It happens. Like I said, I hope he’s okay. You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. I want that belt back. It’s my belt. It’s going to happen.”
Jones is scheduled to have surgery on Friday to repair his torn pectoral muscle, and expects to be out for “several months” of recovery.
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