Jon Jones: There’s Never Been a Fight That Means More Than Beating Stipe Miocic

Jon Jones essentially called his shot during fight week, and he delivered on that promise in the UFC 285 headliner.

As he promised, “Bones” made it look easy against Ciryl Gane, winning via guillotine choke just 2:04 into the opening round of their heavyweight title bout on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And just like that, Jones picked up where he left off three years ago, as one of the sport’s all-time best pound-for-pound fighters.

“We were really well rehearsed,” Jones said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I believe that I’m a product of my team. We take studying very seriously. I’m not sure if Ciryl Gane landed a clean strike on me or not, but we were ready defensively for every one of his strikes. It just felt so amazing.”

In truth, Gane wasn’t given much of a chance to unveil his highly-touted kickboxing arsenal. Jones took him down quickly and locked in the sneaky guillotine before the Frenchman could even find his bearings. While the former interim title holder was regarded as a difficult challenge for Jones’ comeback heading into the bout, “Bones” wasn’t as impressed by “Bon Gamin” as many observers were, something he made clear repeatedly.

“I didn’t see it that way. I knew that Ciryl was the most incomplete fighter out of all the [heavyweight] fighters,” Jones said. “I believe that he is the fastest when it comes to the striking, his footwork. But surprisingly he didn’t use his footwork, he stood right in the pocket with me.”

Jones’ return wasn’t without a few hiccups. First, his entry into the cage was delayed as he was required to remove the tape on his toe. According to Jones, that taping was simply a precaution stemming from an injury he suffered in a victory against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 in 2013.

“I broke my toe when I fought Chael Sonnen years ago. Ever since then every day at practice I tape my toe to ensure that it doesn’t pop out again,” he said. “The toe is totally fine, but every once in a while if I pivot on it too hard, it sends the most excruciating pain up my body. I just want never want to compete again without my toe taped. Hopefully the proper people hear me and I don’t run into this issue again.”

Once the fight began, it was momentarily paused when Gane quickly landed a kick to Jones’ cup. Fortunately, it didn’t prove to be a debilitating foul.

“Right away, I get kicked in the balls. It had a nice amount of power on it. It actually didn’t hurt me too bad, but I didn’t want that strike to go unnoticed, so I stopped and I acknowledged it,” Jones said. “The fight continued, and I got an early finish.”

The victory sets the stage for a showdown with former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who still holds the promotion record for most consecutive title defenses in the division. It’s a matchup that has held Jones’ attention for quite some time.

“There has never been a fight that means more to me than beating Stipe Miocic,” Jones said. “I don’t think I’ve ever fought a GOAT, and people consider him the greatest heavyweight of all time. None of the past champions that I’ve beaten were considered GOATs. So this GOAT vs. GOAT means the world to me.

“I’m gonna look a lot better in my next fight. I’m gonna be lean and mean. I’m gonna be fast. I’m gonna be well rehearsed. I’ve been training for Stipe for a long time already. We’re just gonna pick up our old notes, we’re gonna refine them and I’m gonna finish Stipe Miocic. I don’t come to win. I come to dominate Stipe Moicic, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

While UFC 290 on July 8 has been targeted for Jones vs. Miocic, that date is far from official. When the bout does happen, Miocic will be returning from a lengthy layoff himself. His last appearance came in March 2021, when he relinquished the heavyweight crown to Francis Ngannou in a second-round knockout loss at UFC 260. Jones offered Miocic a friendly warning as their fight approaches

“Stipe Miocic, he’s quite the competitor. He has a wrestling background. He’s a very strong boxer. He knows how to win a fight. Me and my team we take him very very seriously,” Jones said. “I would recommend him taking some time off from the fire department for a while. He’s gonna need every ounce of himself to get through this one. He’s not gonna get through it, but I’m telling you, he has my undivided attention.

“I have no side jobs but to be the greatest champion that’s ever lived. I mean that with all due respect. I love the fact that he serves his community. I consider him a great American. But this is my whole world.”