"He would almost smirk" - Former rival Daniel Cormier feels Stipe Miocic is in a similar mindframe for Jon Jones as he was for their rematch
Daniel Cormier believes fans may see the best version of Stipe Miocic when he steps into the octagon to face Jon Jones at UFC 295.
Cormier is speaking from experience, having faced off against the heavyweight legend on three seperate occasions. 'DC' initially shocked the world when he knocked out Miocic at UFC 226 to win the heavyweight title, but came up short on the next two occasions against the Ohio native.
Miocic has only fought once since his trilogy against Cormier, losing out to Francis Ngannou via a vicious second-round KO. The 41-year-old has since taken a hiatus from the sport, with his bout against Jones marking the end of a two-year stint away from the octagon.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier previewed the upcoming heavyweight clash at UFC 295. According to 'DC', Stipe Miocic is already being doubted, which makes him dangerous opponent.
He explained:
"He would say these things like that, like 'Okay doubt me, doubt me'. He would almost smirk. He knew what most in the public didn't know was the way he was training, the way he was preparing and his intent in the fight...You take his personality and almost take Miocic for granted and you forget he's one of the most dangerous men on the planet."
Catch Cormier's comments here:
Stipe Miocic weighs in on upcoming bout against Jon Jones
Stipe Miocic is more confident than ever that he's going to once again become the UFC heavyweight champion.
Miocic is set to face Jones in his first bout in the octagon for two years. Since taking his hiatus after a loss to Ngannou, 'Bones' has made the step up to heavyweight and defeated Ciryl Gane for the vacant belt.
In a recent interview with BetOnline.ag, Miocic was asked about his potential method of victory against the champion. According to the ex-champ, he hits harder than he is given credit for and is excited to show that at UFC 295:
"[I think] my speed, my angles [and] I think punching power [will give him problems]. I hit a lot harder than people think. I think I have a great IQ. I always change it up and when something happens, I'll figure a way out."
Miocic added:
"It's what the fans want to see. It's a fight he wanted, a fight I wanted. Two of the best going at it, nothing gets better than that."
Check out Stipe Miocic's comments here: