Before LHW king Alex Pereira took over the conversation with his heavyweight ambitions, Stipe Miocic vs Jon Jones was the fight fans longed to see. However with ‘Bones’ tearing his pectoral muscle, that has been put on hold. Add Aspinall to that list and suddenly we have to ask is Jones vs Miocic happening? Daniel Cormier, meanwhile, is concerned for another reason.
Yes, Cormer has posed the most important question. With the likes of Pereira and Aspinall breaking down doors, “Can Stipe (Miocic) still compete at that level?”
Speaking to former UFC star, Ben Askren, DC had a lot to say about a possible match between Jones and Miocic. In fact, the former HW champion is of the opinion that a bout with interim champ, Tom Aspinall is the most logical solution for Jones instead of taking on a 41-year-old Miocic.
“The toughest fight and the most meaningful fight in all of fighting right now is Jon Jones-Tom Aspinall. I dont know at this point if it should be Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic and I like Stipe, Stipe is a great guy but at that age with that much time off… I dont know. I dont know what Stipe looks like today.”
Fans of Miocic might not like it, but DC has a point here.
A bout with Jones on paper might be the last thing for Miocic, especially considering his age. He suffered a devastating loss in his last bout against Francis Ngannou. Not to forget, his chin has been tested a lot. Miocic might be the greatest heavyweight of all time given his well-rounded game, but time beats them all.
In fact, as for Miocic who is coming off a break to take on a killer like Jones, things might end up terribly wrong as a false move against the undisputed heavyweight champion can put him straight into retirement. As per Cormier, a bout with Aspinall is the most meaningful one, one that Jones is less likely to take up.
Well, DC is bang on here as well, instead of going up against Aspinall who is a much well-rounded fighter, also in his prime, a bout against Pereira is Jones’ safest bet. According to Cormier, Jones’ pick is not coincidental in fact, it’s more of a strategy!
DC explains Jon Jones’ strategy behind the potential fight against Alex Pereira
Speaking on ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast to his co-host and former UFC superstar Chael Sonnen, DC offered his take on Jones’ interest in taking on Pereira instead of Aspinall. From Jones’ perspective, a bout with the Brazilian who is more of a striker is a safer bet as per Cormier instead of facing a well-rounded fighter like Aspinall who is renowned for his grappling. Cormier said,
“Not everybody hits like Francis Ngannou or Alex Pereira, but if you can get away from that and manage that, it’s much less risky than fighting a guy with a full skillset, that’s complete. That’s exactly what Tom Aspinall looks to be.”
While the UFC commentator believes that “won’t fly” would have the better odds of beating Jones, he gave his former rival props for playing it smart. Meanwhile, the Brit has been poking Jones in every way possible in an effort to make him accept the fight. But even with all that, Jones’ future endeavors still remain a mystery.
