Upset Alert? ‘Miocic Doesn’t Get The Credit He Deserves’

Jon Jones’ first Heavyweight title defense is nearly here.

UFC 295 will see the promotion return to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 5, 2023. Featured atop the card is the Heavyweight title tilt between the recently crowned champion, Jones, and former two-time titleholder, Stipe Miocic. Both men asked for the match up and now get their wish on the grandest stage.

If it couldn’t be one of the other for each, the other prime option was the former champion, Francis Ngannou, who has since parted ways to box and compete in Professional Fighters League (PFL). Miocic’s last fight took place when he dropped the title to Ngannou in their March 2021 rematch. With Ngannou’s familiarity with both fighters, he feels his former rival is getting overlooked.

“I would pick Stipe,” Ngannou told CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri. “Stylistically, Stipe. I fought Stipe twice. Stipe doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Obviously, I won the second time, but I know that I could have even lost that time. I know how good of a fighter he is. He fought ‘D.C.’ three times and you can see how he fought. This is also a different weight class for Jon Jones. This is Heavyweight and I think it’s slightly different than Light Heavyweight. I agree that Jon Jones is the best at Light Heavyweight, but I think at Heavyweight he definitely will be challenged.”

Ngannou finds himself in a similar underdog role to Miocic ahead of his new foray into boxing. “The Predator” returns to action for the first time since defeating Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision in January 2022 when he challenges Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this weekend (Sat., Oct. 28, 2023).

“I don’t know, maybe because I’m crazy,” Ngannou said of why he has so much confidence. “Maybe because I’m not afraid of failing. Maybe I’ve accepted failing as part of it. Maybe because I just dive when I have to dive without thinking of ‘if this or if that.’ That’s how it works. You never know. Regardless of the amount of confidence that you have, you never know what will really happen until you get there. The best confidence that you can have, the best thing you can do to prove your confidence is to put the work in and go out there and give your best. That’s all. Sometimes you might come up short but that’s okay so long as you give it your all.”