Daniel Cormier Outlines The Main Factor That Will Decide Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has given an in-depth breakdown of an upcoming heavyweight title fight between two former opponents.
UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will face former champion Stipe Miocic in the UFC 295 headliner in November at Madison Square Garden. He won the then-vacant title by defeating Ciryl Gane by first-round submission at UFC 285.
Talks of a fight between Jones and Miocic ramped up entering, and immediately after, UFC 285. After months of speculation as to whether or not the fight will come to fruition, the two sides agreed to book the mega fight for the end of the year.
Cormier faced Miocic and Jones multiple times during his Hall of Fame career and feels their upcoming heavyweight title fight will come down to the opening seconds of the action.
Daniel Cormier Previews Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
During a recent episode of DC&RC, Cormier gave fans an insight into what could determine how the fight will play out.
“We’re gonna know very early how this one is gonna go,” Cormier forecasted. “We’re gonna know in the Stipe Miocic that we see, if he’s a little bit slower, if he’s not the same guy at 41, we’re gonna know…he’s fast for a big guy. Fast hands, very explosive, tremendous boxing. We’ll know very fast who Stipe Miocic today is as opposed to the guy we saw against Francis Ngannou a couple years ago.
“Jon Jones, we know who he is now. We know he’s a little slower. He said it himself: ‘I gained 30 pounds, of course I’m gonna be a little slower’. We know he’s a very high level fighter even up at heavyweight and a little heavier. You have to see from the start how Stipe Miocic looks in his movement. If he’s still quick, light on his feet, still fast with his hands, he could potentially cause the new Jon Jones some real issues.”
Miocic hasn’t fought since losing the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. Before the loss to Ngannou, he won back-to-back fights over Cormier.
Jones returned from a three-year hiatus to win the heavyweight belt at UFC 285. He vacated the light heavyweight title following a win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247.
Jones vs. Miocic is one of the most highly anticipated heavyweight title fights in UFC history, and Cormier will keep a close eye on how the opening moments play out when they clash in the Octagon.
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