UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones may already have his hands full with fans who want him to prove himself against interim champ Tom Aspinall, but before that he’ll need to get past Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16. And, if his recent snub of Miocic is anything to go by, Saturday’s epic UFC 309 matchup is set to be another highly personal clash. Here’s why.
Rochester, New York native Jon Jones (21-1 in UFC) had a difficult time this week during the press conference for his upcoming title defense at Madison Square Garden. Despite being the local hero, fans and journalists wanted to know if Jones would be up for a clash against Aspinall if he is victorious at UFC 309.
While boss Dana White welcomed the highly anticipated bout, Jones has been less than enthusiastic about taking on the Brit, instead telling journalists that he would rather pick fights that excite him. This situation boiled over at the press conference when a large contingent in the room began to chant for “Tommy.” And, rather than keep his cool, Jones fired back, “Knock it off,” but that wasn’t the end of the drama.
Why did Jon Jones snub Stipe Miocic ahead of UFC 309?
While Jones, who last fought in March 2023, is on record as calling Aspinall and a** hole, he also has personal beef with Miocic (14-4 in UFC). As the two fighters got in position for the obligatory face-off, Jones snubbed Miocic’s offering of a handshake. Apparently, the personal feelings were due to comments that firefighter Miocic had made in the buildup to the fight. “Everyone likes first responders and I respect men and women who are in the armed forces, law enforcement, things like that, so I made it a point to be very respectful to him,” he told reporters.
But he took offense after accusing Miocic of saying “my kids will never look at me like I’m an a**hole,” believing that the quote was an attack on his own family dynamic. Jones also said he was less than happy that Miocic had called him a “b*tch.” So then, the champ says that the fight is now very personal to him and that; “the respect is out of the window.”
Scores will be settled at UFC 309 ON Saturday, November 16, available on ESPN+.