Jon Jones has teased a 2022 bout with Stipe Miocic, but one notable figure feels Jones is out of Miocic’s league.
For over a year, Jon Jones has been hinting at a heavyweight move. A few things have been standing in his way, including some personal issues, business issues, and having to put on weight. Now, it seems he is closer than ever to making the jump feet first into the heavyweight division.
Jones recently hinted at a bout with former champion Stipe Miocic. Although many are very excited about this potential matchup and the prospect of seeing two of the best fight each other, one man who has a vast knowledge of the sport thinks it may be a lopsided matchup.
John McCarthy is one of the most knowledgeable men when it comes to the sport of mixed martial arts. He was an MMA referee for over 20 years and has been right in the action for some of the biggest fights in history. He has since stepped down from refereeing and hosts a podcast where he speaks about the sport with his co-host Josh Thomson.
Here is what McCarthy said about a potential Jones/Miocic encounter at this stage of their careers:
“I think Jon knows it [the title shot] is coming and he’s just starting to wet the whistle on it and get people’s attention towards it and that’s okay that’s what he’s supposed to [do], ” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” Podcast (via first sportz). “Jon is too good for Stipe at this time… I love Stipe, but Stipe’s getting older, and it’s the wrestling of Stipe that usually works for him.”
Jones vacated the light heavyweight title back in May of 2020 with the intention of moving up a division. Prior to that, he had not lost a bout since 2009.
Many people are interested in seeing what he can do at heavyweight, especially against the likes of Francis Ngannou. However, as for Miocic, he has lost two of his last four, including the title loss to Ngannou. McCarthy feels that Miocic’s skills would not translate well against Jones.
“He’s got the ability to, you know, to have that and have in his back pocket where you can either use it or at least threaten it, and people have to you know to fight a certain way,” McCarthy said. “He’s not going to be able to threaten it in any fashion with Jon. That’s going to cause a problem and Jon can do it in reverse to him.”
Jones has mentioned that he is only interested in a title shot when he is ready to return. However, the problem with that is the availability of Ngannou. Ngannou is fresh off his first title defense and needs some time off for surgery.
Ngannou and the UFC have had a rocky relationship lately, and this could be leading to an interim title situation. If that is the case, perhaps Jones vs. Miocic could fit the mold.
Do you think Jones’ skills are too much for Miocic at this point in time?
