"People don't understand" - Stipe Miocic explains why booking a fight with Jon Jones became a 'pain in the a**'
Jon Jones is scheduled for his first heavyweight title defense against the best heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic.
The pair are officially set to battle at UFC 295 in Madison Square Garden later this year in a highly anticipated matchup.
'Bones' returned to the sport after a three-year hiatus to face Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Jones submitted his opponent in the first round to become a two-division champion.
Following his submission win over Gane, talks of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic facing off at UFC 290 began, with both men appearing confident they would face-off in July. But a breakdown in negotiations caused a delay in proceedings, and the pair will now officially face off at UFC 295.
Miocic recently spoke to Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith ahead of his bout with Jones. Smith asked if organizing the bout was 'a pain in the a**', and the former champion responded by saying this:
"Ahhhhh there were moments... We'll talk off camera... The first time [the UFC] asked I said, 'Not right now, I can't.' I told them I could do it a few weeks later but they said no. Other things came up. People don't understand that there's a lot more to it than me not trying to fight..."
Watch the interview below from 1:10:
Stipe Miocic currently holds the UFC record for the most heavyweight title defenses ever, and has been regarded as the heavyweight GOAT by Jon Jones himself.
Stipe Miocic previews Jon Jones as an opponent ahead of UFC 295
Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones are scheduled to battle at UFC 295 on November 11, in what should be an epic clash.
Both Miocic and Jones have backgrounds in college wrestling, but Miocic also spent time training as a boxer and competed in Golden Gloves. The former champion has high-level striking that could no doubt give 'Bones' trouble in their bout.
During a recent interview with Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith, Miocic analyzed Jones' strengths ahead of their clash at UFC 295. He noted the champion's unorthodox nature as one of his biggest weapons. He said:
"Ah, I think he's just real good at just throwing weird stuff. I mean, just 'off the wall' stuff that, you know, it works. I’m not like that.
You could say I’m a basic b**** – I’m more like a one-two, one-two kick. I’m simple. He’s very dangerous from anywhere. He does things you wouldn’t expect, so I need to prepare for everything."