Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic date: When is this UFC heavyweight bout likely to happen?
The much-anticipated bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic might finally be happening. However, Jones recently gave a slightly negative update on a potential date for the bout via Twitter.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion stated that Miocic will be ready in September this year after waiting for the heavyweight to gain fitness.
Ariel Helwani stated that the UFC was aiming to schedule the bout at the end of July, but this is seemingly too soon for the bout to be made. It seems like Miocic is the one in control, with the organization needing to wait until the former heavyweight champion is ready.
Stipe is saying that he will be at his absolute peak in September. I’m disappointed but patient, I want the heavyweight goat at his absolute best. I’ll wait until September. No excuses
UFC is discussing coming back to MSG on July 30. They would like Jon Jones to be on the card but as Jones just tweeted unlikely Stipe Miocic would be ready then. Fluid. arielhelwani.substack.com/p/two-cent-tue…
Miocic hasn't fought since March 2021, when facing Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. The 39-year-old lost via knockout in round two, but had some good moments during the bout.
However, Jon Jones has been even more inactive than Miocic, last competing in the UFC in February 2020. Unlike Miocic, 'Bones' won his previous outing, beating Dominick Reyes via unanimous decision.
Watch Jones defeat Reyes here:
Some fans were left unimpressed by Jones' previous outing, with many believing that 'Bones' lost. All three judges scored in favor of Jones, with Joe Soliz even scoring the bout 49-46. Both Chris Lee and Marcos Rosales scored the contest 48-47 in favor of Jones.
However, 'Bones' should be set to face a brand new opponent when finally taking on Stipe Miocic. Despite Jones debuting in the UFC in 2008, the two fighters have never crossed paths before.
Who did Jon Jones lose to and why was it controversial?
Jones has a near-perfect professional MMA record of 26 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no-contest. The 35-year-old's only loss came against Matt Hamill in 2009, after Jones was deemed to have used an illegal downward elbow technique during the bout.
At the time, Jones didn't seem too bothered by the fact that the result was classed as a loss instead of a no-contest. The incident happened in the first round, meaning many would have expected a no-contest decision.
Watch Jones speak after the loss here:
Another controversial result on Jon Jones' record is the no-contest against Daniel Cormier after their rematch in 2017. 'Bones' won the bout via knockout, but later tested positive for a banned substance which meant the result was deemed a no-contest.