Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic will not be happening at UFC 295, but expect the championship fight to be rescheduled at some point.
The MMA world was hit with some unfortunate news, as Jones suffered a torn pectoral tendon during his preparation for the Miocic fight. As a result, Jones will need to undergo surgery, and the planned November 11 UFC heavyweight title fight is off. Taking its place will be an interim championship bout between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall.
Dana White Reveals Why Stipe Miocic Isn’t Fighting For Interim Gold
During a recent session with media members, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is still in the cards once Jones takes care of his surgery and heals. He also said the UFC never considered booking Miocic in an interim title fight.
“Stipe is not fighting for an interim title,” White said. “I wouldn’t, so Jones said, ‘I wanna fight Stipe.’ I said, ‘You’re fighting Stipe.’ You have the greatest heavyweight of all time vs. the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. This is a legacy fight for both of those guys. To even call Stipe and ask Stipe to fight for an interim title is complete disrespect. This is a fight for two legends, legacy, two of the greatest to ever do it. The fans want to see it, I want to see it and they both want to do it.”
It’s an interesting spot for the UFC to be in. Speculation swirled that UFC 295 could’ve been the final pro MMA event for both Jones and Miocic. “Bones” had teased ending his career inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. With rising new-era heavyweights Pavlovich and Aspinall fighting for interim gold, it’s left some doubting the winner of Jones vs. Miocic will meet the interim heavyweight titleholder inside the Octagon.
