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Report: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic UFC Heavyweight Fight Being Discussed
March 27, 2019
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones hinted he could move up a weight class to fight former heavyweight title-holder Stipe Miocic in July.
Ariel Helwani of ESPN reported discussions about the potential bout are in the "embryonic stages," but noted "there is something there."
Miocic captured the UFC heavyweight belt with a victory over Fabricio Werdum in May 2016. He successfully defended the championship three times before dropping it to Daniel Cormier via knockout loss in July 2018, and he hasn't entered the Octagon since.
In February, the 36-year-old Ohio native told Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting he was focused solely on getting a rematch with Cormier.
"Oh, 100 percent," Miocic said. "It's everything. Just because I know I'm the better fighter—I believe I'm the better fighter. In my heart."
He added: "My plan, of course, is to get that rematch. I've been saying that this whole time. We'll see what happens. Just right now, I'm in the gym getting better every day, loving life, enjoying my daughter every day, watching her grow up."
Meanwhile, Jones is 2-0 since returning from a 15-month doping suspension to reclaim the light heavyweight title with a victory over Alexander Gustafsson in December. He defended the belt with a win against Anthony Smith in early March.
His dominance over the division makes it no surprise UFC would consider allowing him to move up to face Miocic this summer.
A victory would establish Jones as a threat in the heavyweight division and create a potential third clash with Cormier. He would their first meeting by unanimous in January 2015, but a knockout win in July 2017 was changed to a no contest because of his failed drug test.
UFC 239 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 6 would be the most likely site of Jones' matchup with Miocic, if it does come to fruition.