Roughly two days after the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul fight in Texas, on Sunday, November 17, in faraway New York, Jon Jones will finally step into the cage to face UFC heavyweight veteran Stipe Miocic. ‘Bones’ returns over a year after his heavyweight debut. Following Francis Ngannou‘s departure, he scored an easy win over Ciryl Gane and became the division’s new occupant. Miocic, on the other hand, had been largely out of the ground and pound game since the 2021 loss to Ngannou.

Many feel that he might consider retiring after the Jones fight. The 42-year-old former champion joined fellow Ohioan Jake Paul and team in the ‘BS w/ Jake Paul’s latest episode. The discussion covered a range of topics. Notwithstanding the current hype surrounding the Tyson showdown, ‘The Problem Child’s aspirations towards the octagon are well known. He has previously boxed former MMA champions, but a test in the cage still awaits. Can he grapple as well as he can box? Stipe Miocic had some insights.

Stipe Miocic: Jake Paul has a decent shot in MMA

Miocic joined the show about half an hour after it started. He shared his thoughts on the fight camp and his opponent. ‘The Problem Child’ expressed curiosity about whether he planned to retire after the fight, irrespective of whether he won or suffered a defeat.

“I don’t know, man. I say it every time after every fight I think about retiring, so we’ll see,” replied the former UFC heavyweight champion. ‘Kill Jasper’ had other thoughts. Given Paul’s potential foray into the cage, he felt if Stipe Miocic could share some in-depth perspective, that might help.

The 42-year-old Euclid, Ohio native acknowledged Paul’s prowess with the gloves. For grappling also, he felt a bit confident. Reportedly, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has been undergoing training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Mo Jassim and Michael Perez.

So Miocic said, “He knows how to wrestle, so all is just being smart on the ground and not putting yourself in a bad position to get choked out or, you know, arm barred or anything like that. I think he’ll be fine. You know, I think he’ll be just smart, and just, you know, like you said, listen to his coaches real while I think he does that. He’s fine.”

“Absolutely,” he added when Jasper asked whether Paul could reach the same level that he has now achieved in boxing.

Success written all over

As the show drew to a close, referring to Stipe Miocic, ‘Kill Jasper’ called out Jake Paul, “Has he told you the honest truth about his opinion on you versus Mike Tyson?” That clearly roused ‘The Problem Child’s curiosity. Between him and Mike Tyson, who will be Stipe Miocic’s pick for the win? “I got you, babe,” replied the MMA legend. An ecstatic Paul said, “Let’s go. Thank you.”

In a span of a few days, the fate of two well-known Ohioans will unfold. Fans can look forward to a string of exciting events as they watch two thrillers—one in the squared circle and the other in the octagon.

Do you think Stipe Miocic will reclaim his lost crown in the duel against Jon Jones?