Jon Jones emailed Stipe Miocic a warning ahead of their possible UFC heavyweight champion matchup.
After a more than three-year layoff from competition, Jones returned to the octagon on Saturday night and submitted Ciryl Gane in just over two minutes to win the vacant title in the main event of UFC 285. Jones demanded a fight against Miocic after the win. The former champ accepted. “Bones” said he plans to immediately get back to the gym this week to prepare for the matchup — and he wants Miocic to come with that same energy, otherwise it’ll be a long night for the former champ.
“I say this respectfully to Stipe — I would take time off from being a firefighter right now. And I mean that with all due respect,” Jones said during the UFC 285 post-fight press conference. “My whole world is going to be focused on him. This is the biggest opportunity in my life to beat the heavyweight GOAT and I’m going give it everything I’ve got, absolutely everything I’ve got.
“Stipe refers to the fact that he is heavier than me now — his head already is in the wrong place. He’ll be older than me if he believes weightlifting will beat him, but he won’t be any faster. Stipe will be defeated, but I will finish him in the championship rounds .”
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UFC president Dana White confirmed to members of the media following Friday’s UFC 285 ceremonial weigh-ins that the ideal situation is for Miocic to challenge Jones for the championship at UFC 290, which is scheduled to take place during the promotion’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas on July 8.
To make his long-awaited return — and first time as a heavyweight fighter — Walt Harris and former UFC heavyweights Maurice Greene, Yorgan de Castro and Yorgan Greene enlisted their help.
Jones is aiming to repay the men who supported him in this amazing feat by preparing his team for scheduled fights or Harris’ specific timeline.
Jones also stated that he would be fully involved in Miocic’s preparations, as he looks to take on the champion for the first time since losing to Francis Ngannou, UFC 260 almost two years ago.
“We’re going right back to work,” Jones said. Jones said, “I have high confidence in the next fight. I will go in with an entirely different level of confidence. I believe that I’m going to look really great. I’m going have even higher endurance than I had [against Gane], which is going be hard to beat because I’m in really great condition [right now].
“Yeah, the next fight is going to be awesome.”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/3/6/23625943/jon-jones-to-stipe-miocic-ahead-of-potential-clash-following-ufc-285?rand=96749
