Despite Being Branded HW ‘Goat’ by Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic’s Chances Against UFC Champ Predicted by UFC Veterans- “He’s Coming in Second, Other Than…”

Published 07/10/2023, 7:59 AM EDT

The match that the entire UFC world is eagerly waiting for is Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic. Jones, who is a highly controversial but skilled fighter, made his return to the UFC, and decimated Ciryl Gane to reclaim the top spot, this time in the Heavyweight division. He was originally slated to face Francis Ngannou, but the latter moved to the PFL, and all talks of Ngannou vs. Jones died out.

Before he had his next opponent confirmed, Jones seemed to be chasing the fight against Ngannou while also beefing with the WBC champion Tyson Fury. Rumors about the two fighting soon also did their rounds but ultimately, Dana White stepped onto the scene and confirmed that Jon Jones’ next opponent would be Stipe Miocic and that the two would be fighting at UFC 295, scheduled for 11 November at Madison Square Garden in New York.

‘Big’ problems for Stipe Miocic – ‘Big’ John McCarthy says Jones might prove to be too much for Miocic

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Stipe Miocic is a fierce martial artist, but Jon Jones is a potential G.O.A.T candidate who is practically undefeated. The matchup between the two is destined for greatness, but legendary UFC official John McCarthy seems to think that Jones might prove to be a challenge that Miocic might have trouble overcoming.

When ex-UFC fighter Josh Thompson asked McCarthy what he thought of the Jones vs. Miocic fight being confirmed by Dana White, the retired official said, “I’ve always loved Stipe. He’s a great guy… but, uh… not a good matchup for him. Not a good matchup at all.“.

“Being honest, as far as…“, started McCarthy before he was interrupted by fellow podcast host Josh Thompson. Thompson asked McCarthy if he thought the outcome would have been different or if he thought the matchup would be a ‘good one’ if Miocic was younger.

“It would have helped. Let’s just put it that way. It would have helped. Yeah… he’s gonna be… you know… in every aspect of this fight, he has…. He’s coming in second, other than age.“, replied McCarthy, after careful reconsideration.

Jon Jones recently won the ESPY award for UFC’s Fighter of the Year, beating retired Women’s champion Amanda Nunes. Talking about his recent achievement and everything that Jones stands for, McCarthy said, “Jon Jones is… you know people can sit there and say what they want. I did… you know… he… congratulations to Jon Jones for winning the ESPY as the UFC’s Fighter of the Year.“.

“Stipe has been a hell of a fighter… hell of a champion, you know… He fought, you know, Cormier three times, you know, but he got beat by Cormier also.”, concluded McCarthy, suggesting a gaping hole in the fight card with respect to it being evenly matched.

Jon Jones’ Retirement Plan – All Beef settled?

Jon Jones has said that he is considering retiring after his title defense against Stipe Miocic. The fighter has ruled the Octagon for years, then walked away and come back with an emphatic win over Gane. In hindsight, the fighters that Jones has faced – the likes of Daniel Cormier, Gustafsson, Machida, and more; he has asserted his dominance over all of them, some of them being the greatest fighters the UFC has ever produced.

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Jones started beefing with Israel Adesanya, but the fight fell through because of weight-class clashes. The fighter did not get to fight Francis Ngannou – a match that everyone wanted to see. His social media feud with Tyson Fury, which gave way to a potential fight rumor, also fizzled out.

“Terrible for Stipe” – Joe Rogan Claims Stipe Miocic Was Provided a Built-in Disadvantage Against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260

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At this point, Jones might feel like he has achieved everything that he had set out to, in terms of all things martial arts. But will Miocic come in as the underdog and hand Jones his first ‘loss’ in the UFC? Or will he be another name on the list of fighters Jones has defeated?

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Written by:

Arghyadeep is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His love for combat sports dates back to the WWF. Being a 90’s kid, he grew up fascinated by showmanship, competitive fighting, and wrestling.

Edited by:

Rupkamal Sarma

Despite Being Branded HW ‘Goat’ by Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic’s Chances Against UFC Champ Predicted by UFC Veterans- “He’s Coming in Second, Other Than…”

‘Big’ problems for Stipe Miocic – ‘Big’ John McCarthy says Jones might prove to be too much for Miocic

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