Why is Jon Jones not fighting Stipe Miocic in July? Henry Cejudo reveals reason
Jon Jones' return to action reminded everyone why he is one of the greatest to ever do it. He made his debut at heavyweight and swiftly submitted the No.1-ranked contender Ciryl Gane to win the championship on his divisional debut.
Jones wasted no time in calling out the consensus heavyweight greatest of all time, Stipe Miocic, in his post-fight octagon interview. The two have since traded accusations of dodging each other without official confirmation of their matchup.
Former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo weighed in on why the fight wasn't announced yet. He emphasized that Jones held the leverage in the negotiations:
“Jon is a businessman. When the UFC tends to put out their cards a little too early, thinking about planning Jon Jones [in] international fight week. This is when you have the leverage as a fighter to be like, 'I don’t think so.' My question is, is it a plot for a little more money? Does Jones deserve a little more money? For having a first-round finish against the No.1 contender, obviously, the belt was up for grabs but what he did, he was able to do it in under two minutes. The man that has the leverage, the man that has the heavyweight crown, his name is Jon Jones.”
Cejudo also mentioned that 'Bones' hinting at retirement only furthered the leverage he held over the promotion:
“Does he want a little more cash? I love the UFC, I just renegotiated my contract. I got a nice little paycheck, but Jon also knows that there may be an opportunity for him to get a little more dinero, a little more cash, moolah. Once you start to put Jones in there [International Fight Week], I think there’s a bigger fight. Jones is already talking about retirement again. If there’s anybody right now that has leverage, that can pick the date, that can pick the damn venue, his name is Jon Jones.”
Check out Cejudo's full comments below:
Jon Jones hints at retirement after heavyweight fight against Stipe Miocic
Jon Jones is arguably the greatest fighter to ever step into the octagon. However, he wants to end on a high, proving that his move up to heavyweight cements his legacy.
The future UFC Hall of Famer hinted at retirement after fighting Stipe Miocic in his latest tweet. He also suggested a venue for the fight, and as Henry Cejudo pointed out, Jones can use his leverage to dictate such terms.
Jones wrote:
"How cool would it be to spend my retirement fight dominating the greatest heavyweight of all time, in my home state at Madison Square Garden?"
The UFC is yet to confirm the matchup, much less the card number or the venue and date.
Check out his tweet below:
How cool would it be to spend my retirement fight dominating the greatest heavyweight of all time, in my home state at Madison Square Garden?