Stipe Miocic Plans to ‘Show People I Deserve to Be Heavyweight Champ’ at UFC 295

It took a little longer than he expected, but Stipe Miocic is excited to have a date and venue for his highly-anticipated showdown against Jon Jones.

Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Miocic in the UFC 295 headliner at Madison Square Garden in November, the promotion announced last week.

“I thought it was gonna be July, but it didn’t happen that way,” Miocic said during a backstage interview with ESPN at UFC 290. “It’s Nov. 11. I’ve been waiting for this day. It’s the fight I want. It’s the fight he wants. Nothing better.”

Jones returned from a three-year layoff to claim the vacant crown with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March. Miocic, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since relinquishing the belt in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021. The Ohio-based firefighter claims that the main benefit of his extended layoff was recovery.

“I think just letting my body rest. I’m getting older, nothing wrong with that,” said Miocic, who turns 41 in August. “I feel great. But I think just letting my body rest and not taking the pounding like I should. Obviously, just listen to your body.”

Despite that time on the sidelines, Miocic has remained active in the gym. Now that he’s got a goal in mind, he can ramp up his training.

“Every day. It’s always a grind, you’re always trying to get better,” Miocic said. “Every fight’s different. You’ve got to train for a different guy. I’m really excited and I can’t wait for Nov. 11.”

In a volatile division, Miocic still holds the record for most consecutive heavyweight champioship defense with three. It’s part of why Jones called him out for a legacy-defining fight.

“Style make matchups. I think we have two great styles to make electricity and a lot of fireworks,” Miocic said. “I want to come out on top and show people I deserve to be heavyweight champ.”

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