Brandon Gibson is approaching UFC 309 like it’s Jon Jones’ last fight.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title vs. former champion Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the Nov. 16 main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jones hinted that Miocic is more than likely his retirement fight, and Gibson believes that – even though he thinks Jones is in top form.
“I do. This is a dangerous game,” Gibson said in an interview with From The Stands. “It’s a dangerous game, and it’s not one that treats an aging fighter kindly. I always encourage all my fighters to be out before, to be able to pick their exit. Jon, more than any other fighter, I believe, has earned and deserves to be able to pick and choose when he leaves. I think he has plenty more in the tank. I see his skill set every week against high-level opponents.
“I think right now he’s better than he’s ever been. Oh my goodness. He’s really developed into an amazing heavyweight where the Ciryl Gane fight, we were going from light heavyweight to heavyweight, which is the biggest size gap. So to see him truly in his heavyweight form is incredible. I think he can continue to fight the very best for a long time to come. But he’s also deserved to exit if he chooses to do so and focus on his family and his next career endeavors.”
It’ll be hard for Jones to top his heavyweight debut after running through Ciryl Gane for a first-round submission at UFC 285, but Gibson sees Jones having another dominant win over Miocic.
“I believe Jon is better than he’s ever been at heavyweight right now,” Gibson said. “His eyes, his skill, his technique, his game plan, his strategy. I’m looking for November 16th to be the most dominant performance we’ve ever seen from Jon Jones.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
