Chael Sonnen thinks the opening betting odds for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic should be closer.
Shortly after Jones became the UFC heavyweight champion, the challenger for his first title defense became clear. Miocic was sitting cageside, and ‘Bones’ called him out for an intriguing matchup later this year. It didn’t take long for the betting odds to be released, with the reigning heavyweight king coming in as a near 4-1 favorite.
Jon Jones is already a 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 in a GOAT vs. GOAT fight with Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship! 🏆
(odds via @betonline_ag) 🐐 pic.twitter.com/7hNx7TQzK6
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) March 5, 2023
Sonnen believes the oddsmakers might have been slightly off for the Jones vs. Miocic opening betting lines. During a video on his YouTube channel, he started his argument by saying:
“Jon Jones is the favorite of the fight, I get that. I told you I thought it would be 2-1. I’m just sharing with you, 3-1 is a little bit extreme, and I want to tell you why. This is what somebody said to me, ‘Chael, there’s a stat out there on fighters who have taken a break and returned over 40, and only one of them, his name is Randy Couture, has won.’
Sonnen was attempting to tell a bigger story. He discussed how fighters tend to be judged based on their last performance, which could have affected the opening betting odds. In that case, Miocic is coming off a devastating knockout loss against Francis Ngannou, and Jones had one of the best title fight performances of all time against Ciryl Gane.
"Y'all want to see me beat up Stipe?"
Jon Jones called out Miocic after becoming heavyweight champion 👀 #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/rbocduGATD
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 5, 2023
Chael Sonnen questions Jon Jones’ path to victory against Stipe Miocic
It’s questionable to go against Jon Jones after his masterclass performance at UFC 285. With that said, Stipe Miocic is currently being overlooked because of his age and inactivity. The former UFC heavyweight champion still has the tools to give Jones trouble.
During the same YouTube video, Chael Sonnen discussed how Jones might fare against Miocic:
“I started this piece telling you I thought Jon would be a 2-1 favorite. 3-1, that’s strong. 3-1? How’s he gonna beat Stipe? You might have an answer to the question, but what is the answer to the question?…”
Sonnen continued by saying:
“He’s gonna take Stipe down like it’s nothing and then he’s gonna keep him there? What Daniel Cormier could not do in fifteen rounds, Jon’s just gonna go and throw Stipe down?… Jon’s gonna pick him apart on the feet? He picks everybody else apart, maybe. Maybe that’s what you think. He’s gonna pick him apart while avoiding the takedowns of Stipe, who was a division 1 wrestler. I think you got some questions there and you might come to a conclusion. I just don’t think you can come to a conclusion that’s 3-1.”
Jones vs. Miocic doesn’t have an official date, but the expectation is for International Fight Week in July. In the meantime, Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes might be matched up to determine the next number-one contender in the heavyweight division.
