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Jon Jones believes his upcoming bout against Stipe Miocic could be the final chapter in his career as a fighter. The UFC heavyweight champion spoke about his potential departure from the sport during a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia.
“Right now my goal is to have one more big fight against Stipe Miocic [at] Madison Square Garden then kind of hang it up from there,” Jones said. “Who knows what the future holds.”
‘In fighter years, I’m an old guy’
Jon Jones’ interview this week was not the first time he has hinted at retiring after facing Miocic. In April, he tweeted about “how cool would it be” to have his last fight at Madison Square Garden.
Jones is 35 years old and has competed in MMA since 2008. When explaining why he would retire, he cited how little he has left to prove, as well as his overall health as a fighter.
“I think the Stipe [Miocic] fight will be plenty for me. I feel like I don’t really have much to prove after beating Stipe Miocic,” he said. “I’ve been in the game for a long time. In fighter years, I’m an old guy. I’ve been training for a long time, been training for a long time. Got some small injuries. I just really want to be around. Want to be around for my family, want to be around for my kids … I can see [my career] coming to an end really soon, and I’m happy with that. I’m really proud of my career.”
‘Who knows what the future holds’
While Jones appears to be hinting at his approaching retirement, the former longtime light-heavyweight titleholder could be convinced to stick around for the right fight, especially if former champion Francis Ngannou finds his way back into the mix.
“I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining not retiring. I think a Francis fight would come with some serious revenue and that would make it worth my while. Francis is a former champion, he’s pretty damn popular here in America and across the world, he’s very well known. It would bring in a lot of money. And for that, I would be willing to come back.”
Jon Jones not interested in Pavlovich fight
A fight that doesn’t necessarily excite Jones is a matchup against Sergei Pavlovich. Jones described a match against Pavlovich as a “huge challenge, but nobody knows who he is.”
Pavlovich has climbed up the heavyweight rankings over the past few years. He scored his first main event win last month with a TKO against Curtis Blaydes—his sixth consecutive victory since 2019.
“He’s very exciting. I believe his last six fights have been first-round knockouts? Very, very impressive. He kind of reminds me of Glover Teixeira, when I fought against Glover. When I fought Glover I think he was on a 17-fight win streak,” said Jones. (Author note: Teixeira actually had a 20-fight win streak brewing when they met in 2014.)
“[He’s] primarily a puncher, not much of a kicker. I think Glover’s a lot more well-rounded. Yeah, he kind of reminds me of a Rampage Jackson, Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson, kind of a one-trick pony. I don’t know if we’ll ever fight,” Jones continued.
The exact date for Jones’ fight against Miocic is not known. However, it has been confirmed by UFC President Dana White that they are planning to save the fight for an event in Madison Square Garden.
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