Miocic Sizes Up Jones: ‘I’m Bigger Than That’

Hear what Stipe Miocic had to say about Jon Jones’ performance at UFC 285 and what he plans to do when they fight.

Jon Jones made his long-awaited heavyweight debut on Saturday night at UFC 285, and he cut through Ciryl Gane in two short minutes, choking out “Bon Gamin” to win the vacant heavyweight title (watch the highlights here).

Sitting in the crowd watching the fight was Stipe Miocic, who not only used to hold the UFC heavyweight title but defended it more times than any other champion in the division. Now he wants his shot at Jones.

“He won, good for him. Hats off,” Miocic said in an interview with ESPN. “But of course he has to fight me in July. I wanted that fight, unfortunately I didn’t get it. And now I have to wait until July.”

As for what he thought of Jones as a heavyweight?

“He’s big. Obviously he’s a big boy, 6’4, 247 or something like that,” Miocic said with a shrug. “I’m bigger than that, so that’s okay.”

“I’ll take him out. I’ll stop him. Take him out. That’s what’s gonna happen.”

During the UFC 285 post-fight press conference, word had already gotten back to Jon Jones about Miocic’s comments.

“Stipe is talking about how he’s heavier than me right now,” Jones said. “His head is already in the wrong spot if he thinks weightlifting is going to beat me. He’ll never be younger than he is right now. He’ll never be faster. I’m going to not only beat Stipe Miocic, I’m going to finish Stipe Miocic before the championship rounds.”

While nothing is set in stone, Miocic has been talking about fighting on International Fight Week, which goes down early July in Vegas. Jones vs. Miocic for greatest heavyweight status certainly sounds like a worthy fight to build that week around, so we’ll see if the UFC can sign and seal that deal.