Stipe Miocic has been offered and accepted a fight against Jon Jones, UFC president, Dana White revealed.
Ever since Jones vacated his light heavyweight title the plan was for him to fight at heavyweight. However, “Bones” has yet to make the move but according to White, they have offered him Miocic, and the former heavyweight champ has already accepted it. But, they are waiting on Jones to see what he wants to do.
“Me and Jones have had that type of relationship his whole career. When he’s ready to fight we are ready to go. He’s talking about fighting at heavyweight,” Dana White said on the Nelk Boys’ Full Send podcast. “But, in the heavyweight division right now we are going back to Houston, Derrick Lewis is taking on Ciryl Gane and whoever wins that fight will fight Francis Ngannou. Whoever wins that fight, if Jon Jones wants to come back he can fight one of them. Or, he can fight Stipe Miocic. Stipe has accepted that fight and will take that fight.”
Although Jones has made it clear he wants an immediate title shot, a fight against Miocic makes a ton of sense. It is a big enough fight to be a non-title fight pay-per-view main event where the winner would get a heavyweight title shot. However, it’s uncertain whether or not Jones would accept the scrap despite Miocic already accepting it.
According to White, he doesn’t think Jones will fight again until 2022 regardless of who he fights. Yet, he would likely be able to return sooner if he takes the Miocic fight as both could fight in early 2022 and then wait for Ngannou to fight the Gane-Lewis winner.
“He’s not fighting until next year,” White concluded about Jones.
