Jones open to Miocic superfight
Jon Jones open to heavyweight championship superfight with Stipe Miocic
UFC interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has for years described a move up to heavyweight as inevitable.
In 2010, he took to Twitter to address the issue after mentioning he was currently walking around at 227 lbs. while teasing that he may still be growing into his adult frame.”
On the subject of heavyweight, he replied, I can see that happening in 2012.
In 2012 he said “I’ll definitely move up to heavyweight. But it’ll probably be around 2013. Maybe at the end of 2013.”
In 2013 he said I think heavyweight is going to come along around 2014 – maybe even late this year.”
In 2014 he said with two more fights he is the GOAT with a cleaned out division, and would be moving to heavyweight.
In 2015 Jones’ thinking had changed. Honestly, probably not, he said of the move up, as I get older I’m maturing a lot more. My weight cuts are becoming a lot more easy. I’m learning how to eat better. I’ll probably be at light heavyweight for a long time. … I’ll probably go to heavyweight for one or two superfights at some point and then get back down to light heavyweight.
Now we are in 2016, and Jones responded to a fan question about UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
@JonnyBones how do you think you do in a fight against Stipe?
— John Karol (@john_karol) September 12, 2016
I'm starting to realize the hype is real with that guy. He's legit, I would be the challenge of a lifetime https://t.co/ybke2pAtAC
— BONY (@JonnyBones) September 12, 2016
Miocic said he was game.
“I’ll fight whoever,” he told TMZ. “He’s a great guy, we’ve talked before, very nice guy to me. Like I said, I’ll fight whoever they want me to fight. If they want me to fight Jon, I’ll fight Jon or whoever they want me to fight next — Cain, JDS, Werdum — I don’t care.”
Jones can’t fight just yet.
The fighter was pulled from a unification fight with division champion Daniel Cormier, when he tested positive for Hydroxy-clomiphene and Letrozole, two estrogen blockers that are sometimes used following a cycle of steroids. However, USADA categorizes these as specified substances, due to the greater likelihood of a credible non-doping explanation for a test failure. The penalty for knowingly taking a PED for the first time is a two-year suspension. The penalty for testing positive for a specified substance ranges from a public warning to a maximum one-year suspension.
There have been multiple indications that Jones’ test was due to generic Cialis. Expect Jones to get a public warning, and a little worse if he did not disclose the Cialis use.
And when he returns, it could even be vs. Stipe Miocic.