UFC heavyweight king Jon Jones believes that Stipe Miocic could be trying to lead him into a false sense of security with ‘weak’ new training footage.
With the undisputed heavyweight championship title expected to remain uncontested until November, 41-year-old Stipe Miocic has posted some new training footage online and it’s even got the champ thinking that there could be some mind games at play.
Jon Jones claims Miocic is trying to fool him in ‘weak’ new footage
On his recent appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast, former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic hinted that he’ll likely be making his return in November at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Yesterday, the fan-favorite veteran posted a short clip of him hitting pads in preparation for the expected heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones, to the tune of Ice Cube’s ‘Check Yo Self’ – see below.
Whilst the footage might be of Miocic simply warming up ahead of a full training session, responses online have varied from “Get it champ!” and “Here comes the champ!” all the way to “Stipe doesn’t like look him anymore,” “Looking slow imo,” and “The arthritis is showing.”
It didn’t take long for the new training footage to reach undisputed champ Jon Jones, who had a surprisingly different reaction than many fans to the video: Not to troll Miocic, but to claim that the former heavyweight king is trying to play mind games.
“I’m not a historian of war or anything, but I have learned a thing or two in my day,” said Jones on social media, adding how “A big part of combat strategy is timing, and deception.”
“To make a long story short, if your opponent appears weak, prepare even harder.”
“Complacency is the greatest enemy to a fighter like myself.”
Unsurprisingly, MMA fans have argued that Jones is either trying to establish some vested interest in the fight by trying to make it seem a closer contest than many imagine or that this footage by itself somehow proves that Jones should be looking to face Tom Aspinall, not an aging Miocic.
“It’s so sad that Jon is trying so hard to fight this 42 year old man and what’s even more pathetic is he’s tryna convince fans that this is a fair fight that fans should genuinely be interested in,” wrote one fan.
“This is such a lose/lose fight for jon,” wrote another, explaining how few will recognize victory over Miocic as anything but a forgone conclusion, whilst a loss results in “all the goat talk will have a huge hole in it; I dont get all the legacy talk, this fight only hurts his legacy.”
‘Bones’ thanks his fanbase after a divisive few weeks online
Yet despite all of the negativity and frustration surrounding the UFC heavyweight title picture, Jones remains optimistic not only about his place in the sport but also within his own fanbase.
Responding to one fan who asked Jones to endure the speculation, the light heavyweight GOAT argued “If listening to people talk negatively about me over the Internet is the only downside that comes with this job. Man, this s*** is easy.”
“Now, if people had it in them to disrespect me to my face, that would be different. Everything I’m ever a part of sells out, I have the longest lines everywhere I go.”
“Trust me, I know how much support I have. Bones Jones fans out here thick.”
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He added to another fan asking whether he had already signed to fight Miocic before Tom Aspinall claimed the interim title, “OK, so people understand that as clear as day, yet choose to ignore it. Good to know.”
“Reminds me of a bunch of entitled little kids mad because the game isn’t being played by their rules.”
Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic is expected to be made for the November PPV card at Madison Square Garden in New York, although this is yet to be officially announced by the UFC.