Jon Jones has been backed to fight Stipe Miocic for the interim UFC heavyweight title when he makes his octagon return.
Former light heavyweight king Jones has been planning his long-awaited move to heavyweight for several years and has vowed to win a world title at the weight class in 2022. 'Bones' hasn't fought since defending his 205-pound belt for the last time against Dominick Reyes in 2020.
The UFC could create an interim heavyweight title as undisputed champion Francis Ngannou will be out of action for the rest of the year due to injury. Ngannou recently underwent a successful knee operation and met with UFC boss Dana White to discuss his future in the promotion.
Former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo, who retired two years ago, has been coaching Jones ahead of his return. 'Triple C' revealed an interim title fight between Jones and former champion Miocic is "going to happen" next.
"That's the fight that's going to happen," Cejudo told ' The Schmo '. That's where we are going to be able to really see the creativity of Jon. If we really think about... I don't see Stipe with crazy knockout power. I think Stipe's greatest gift is his endurance.
"Jon Jones, he needed this time off to get his mind right, to let his body recovery and enjoy his family. He needed all this, I wouldn't be mad if he takes another year off because he's accomplished so much. He got to a point where he was so good that people started to adapt to him."
Jones has not looked like the dominant force he once was in his last three UFC wins. He vacated the light heavyweight belt after his controversial win against Reyes at UFC 247 and has been focused on bulking up to heavyweight ever since.
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Miocic hasn't fought since losing his heavyweight title when he was knocked out by Ngannou last March. Ngannou has been involved in contractual issues with the UFC since that fight and is free to leave the promotion in December when his contract expires.
Cejudo thinks Jones is still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, adding: "Whether you hate him or love him, Jon Jones is the greatest of all time. He's going to cement that even more so when he wins the heavyweight title.
"Jon Jones knows how to win, the only person that can really counter that is a guy that takes risks. That's the only way you're going to beat him. You're not a better competitor than him, he's the best competitor right now in the UFC, pound-for-pound any division."
