Jon Jones versus Stipe Miocic is the fight that needs to happen. And UFC 309 in November will offer us just that. Ever since ‘Bones’ became the heavyweight champion, he has been itching to fight Miocic. Now that the fight is scheduled to take place, there are some concerns; Especially regarding Miocic. You see, it has been years since he has fought. His last bout was in 2021 against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 and the veteran fighter lost via KO (punch) in round 2.

Facing ‘Bones’ after a long hiatus will not be an easy task and heavyweight fighter Curtis Blaydes has shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight.

In a new interview with Inside Fighting, Blaydes said, “I mean, who knows? Like, Stipe has been on for so long, like rust; it might be a factor. That is something gotta think about like I have been hearing whenever Stipe shows up at an event or press conference or meet and greet anything like that. He looks like he has a limp, does not look healthy and looks smaller. I don’t know right now. Based on all that, I go with Jon.”

“Heavyweight, I wouldn’t like it’s still 50-50 but if I were allowed to bet, I would put like a 100 on Jon.”

Well, it is hard to argue with this. Also, let us not forget that Stipe Miocic is 42 and a couple of years older than Jones, 37. On the other hand, ‘Bones’ has had only one fight in the heavyweight division. If it wasn’t for his pectoral injury, we would have seen him fight Miocic a long time ago. Regardless, fans have yet another chance to witness it.

But the thing is, ‘Bones’ thinks that his opponent is trying to mislead him by acting weak. He even spoke about the same previously and pointed out why he thought so.

Why is Jon Jones suspicious of Stipe Miocic appearing weak?

‘Bones’ believes that his opponent is pretending to be weak during his training videos and is trying to play a mind game with him. The former champion had uploaded a video of himself having a sparring session with his teammate. From the video, it seemed like Miocic was struggling while trying to throw jabs at the punching pads. His movements also seemed slow. Could this be the rust Curtis Blaydes talked about?

Well, the heavyweight champion thinks it is a trap. He shared, “I’m not a historian of war or anything, but I have learned a thing or two in my day. A big part of combat strategy is timing and deception. To make a long story short, if your opponent appears weak, prepare even harder. Complacency is the greatest enemy to a fighter like myself.”

It is wise to be wary of one’s enemy, especially in this case; It is a pragmatic move because, despite his age, Miocic is one of the best heavyweight fighters. And Jones is also not leaving anything to chance.

He has been training rigorously, as is visible from his toned physique. At UFC 309, Jones will go in with his 27-1 record and Miocic with his 20-4 record.

Do you think Jones will stand up to Dana White’s expectations and live on his Mount Rushmore list, or will Miocic take the win? Share your prediction in the comments below.