Stipe Miocic relishes underdog role against Jon Jones
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Cleveland's champ. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Former UFC champion and Valley View firefighter Stipe Miocic is getting ready for the fight of his life — and, once again, he's the underdog.
Driving the news: The 41-year-old Euclid native is about a month away from facing Jon Jones for the heavyweight championship at UFC 295 pay-per-view on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden.
"Some of the best of all time have fought at Madison Square Garden," Miocic tells Axios. "It's going to be a pretty amazing night on Veterans Day. Something to check off my bucket list."
Why it matters: Miocic-Jones is the most anticipated UFC fight of the year. Miocic will try to recapture the title he first won in 2016 but lost to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in 2021.
The intrigue: Miocic had initially hoped for a rematch against Ngannou, who left the UFC for the Pro Fighters League this year.
Yes, but: A showdown with Jones — a two-division champ who many consider to be the best mixed martial artist of all time — may be the bigger fight.
- "He's really good at what he does," Miocic says of Jones. "That's why he's beaten so many great fighters. Unfortunately, this time, he has to face me."
By the numbers: Miocic holds the UFC record for most wins in heavyweight title fights with six. However, he is a 3-to-1 underdog heading into UFC 295, given that Jones hasn't lost since 2010.
- "I think it's a Cleveland thing," Miocic says. "People just want to poop on us all the time. I'm used to it. But I'm here to fight and anything can happen."
The bottom line: Win or lose, this could be Miocic's last fight.
- "I'm 41, and I feel great," he says. "Right now, I'm [focused on] Nov. 11. After that I'll sit down with my family and decide what's next."
How to watch: UFC 295: Jones vs. Miocic will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
- The cost is $79.99 for current ESPN+ subscribers and $124.98 for new subscribers.