CLEVELAND — At this time a year ago, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was favored to win his heavyweight debut, no matter if it was against Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar or Cleveland’s Stipe Miocic, but the same can no longer be said.
According to Best Fight Odds, Miocic would be favored to beat Jones if the two were to square off for the UFC heavyweight championship this year.
Miocic regained his heavyweight championship from Cormier in August of 2019, more than 13 months after dropping the title in a super-fight main event between the two that highlighted the UFC’s International Fight Week show in July of 2018.
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Jones does not agree with the odds, and was not afraid of sharing his opinion on how the fight would go in an interview on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” on ESPN leading up to his successful light heavyweight title defense against Dominic Reyes last week.
“I feel like I really want to fight Stipe Miocic,” Jones told ESPN. “I feel like I could beat him.
“I feel like I could totally beat him, just based on his performances with DC, our speed differences, my fight IQ, my versatility, my faith and confidence ... I think I’m the guy to beat him, for sure. And I want to strike while I’m feeling hot.”
Jones has good reason to be confident, as he is 26-1 with one no contest in 28 professional MMA fights.
Jones is on a four-fight winning streak since having a UFC light heavyweight championship victory over Cormier overturned to a no contest because of a failed drug test. Jones’ only loss was via disqualification for an illegal elbow strike on Matt Hamill on December 5, 2009.
Like Jones, Miocic is one of the top fighters in the sport right now.
The record-holder for the most consecutive successful defenses of the UFC heavyweight championship, Miocic improved to 19-3-0 in his professional career with the redemption victory over Cormier, including a 13-3 mark since joining the UFC in 2011.
Following a 13-month hiatus from UFC competition, Miocic took a lot of strikes to the face on his way back to the UFC heavyweight championship. However, he withstood Cormier’s barrages of heavy-handed punches in the first three rounds and used a flurry of his own strikes to reclaim the belt.
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After struggling to find his range in the first three rounds, Miocic picked his spots during the fourth frame and was sticking and moving -- engaging with punches, including several left hooks to Cormier’s ribs and getting out of the pocket before the defending champion could respond.
Then, after a lead left hook to the body, Miocic landed a straight right hand to Cormier’s chin. That wobbled Cormier and Miocic moved in for the finish. Miocic landed three right hands before connecting on three short lefts while putting Cormier against the cage.
As Cormier slumped to the canvas, Miocic alternated right and left-handed punches and forced the referee’s stoppage with 52 seconds remaining in the fourth round.
It was the first time ever that Cormier was knocked out in a heavyweight fight, and Miocic’s comeback victory earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.