Jon Jones’ Coach Expects Miocic To Be The Last Fight
Jon Jones‘ coach, Brandon Gibson, expects his fighter to retire after facing Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
The clash takes place on November 16, as Jones makes the second defense of his UFC Heavyweight Title. He secured the belt after beating Cyril Gane last year at UFC 285 in a first-round submission. That was his first win in around three years away from the sport. He was set to defend his belt against Miocic at UFC 295. However, Bones withdrew after suffering a pectoral muscle injury that later required surgery. During his time out injured, Tom Aspinall worked himself into a title shot.
He defeated Curtis Blaydes in his last fight at UFC 304. Dana White has already confirmed that Aspinall will fight the winner of Jones-Miocic. However, White has already revealed that Miocic will retire after this fight. There is also speculation that Jones could do the same.
Jones’ Coach
Bones has indicated that he does not need to fight Aspinall since his legacy is already intact. This has fuelled the narrative that Jones is ducking. While that may be the case, Dana White has reassured fans that they should wait until after the fight to see where Jones goes next. But Bones’ coach has already made his feelings clear.
“I do [believe it will be his last fight]. This is a dangerous game. It’s a dangerous game and it’s not one that treats an aging fighter kindly. I always encourage all my fighters to be out before [they get too old], to be able to pick their exit. Jon, more than any other fighter I believe, has earned and deserves to be able to pick and choose when he leaves.
“I think he has plenty more in the tank, I see his skill set every week against high-level opponents. I think right now, he’s better than he’s ever been. Like, oh my goodness. He’s really developed into an amazing heavyweight… I think he can continue to fight the very best for a long time to come. But, he’s also deserved to exit if he chooses to do so,” Gibson said
The Future
If those comments are taken to be true, it will alienate many UFC fans. They already missed out on seeing Francis Ngannou take on Jones in what would have been the biggest fight in UFC history. Ngannou left the UFC last year after contract talks broke down. Dana White refused to work with Ngannou ever again. The CEO of the UFC also shut down any co-promotion with the PFL. Jones has been regarded as one of the best P4P fighters in the world.
However, the major asterisk over his name is that he has only fought once in over three years. Other champions in the sport, such as Islam Makhachev and Tom Aspinall, have consistently remained active. If Jones does walk away, then Aspinall could potentially face Alex Pereira. The Brazilian has indicated he could move up to heavyweight for a belt. He initially ruled out Aspinall since the Brit does not hold the full belt but only the interim title. But if Jones walks away, Aspinall will be the leading contender. MMA fans have been left unhappy with the comments coming from Jones’ coach.
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