Stipe Miocic opened up about missing out on arguably his biggest career fight to this day.
The former UFC heavyweight champion was disappointed to see his title fight with Jon Jones fall through, just a couple of weeks away from the event. Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) were supposed to headline UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 11 – a card that celebrates the UFC’s 30th anniversary. Unfortunately, Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle in training and is expected to be out for eight months.
The news was a low blow for Miocic.
“How did I feel when I woke up today? Like I got kicked in the nuts,” Miocic said on his OnlyFans account. “In the morning, I woke up to my phone vibrating. It was dark, I had my son on top of me, trying to move and get my phone. I finally got my phone and had a text message from my manager saying my fight was off.
“I couldn’t sleep the rest of the night. I was supposed to fight Jon Jones in about two weeks in New York, UFC 295, Madison Square Garden. I was pretty excited about that. Actually really excited. I guess he tore something in his chest. Unfortunately, that happens. It’s part of the game. Hopefully he gets better and feels better, but what happens now? Do I fight somebody else? I don’t know.”
In response to the fight falling through, the UFC implemented an interim title fight between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall. Miocic says the UFC didn’t offer him the opportunity to fight for the interim belt to stay on UFC 295 despite being ready for the event.
“I don’t know why I didn’t get picked, which is fine,” Miocic said. “I understand they have a direction they want to go. I’m okay with that. Every guy in the division is tough. I definitely want to fight the biggest fish, which is Jon Jones.
“It wasn’t my choice, it was theirs. Listen, everything happens for a reason. The fight being canceled, it sucks. No question about it. Unfortunately, that’s just the game we’re in. It happens. Like I said, I hope he’s okay. You want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. I want that belt back. It’s my belt. It’s going to happen.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.
