Dana White believes the fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic is meant-to-be. The UFC’s president says that whenever he thinks of the fight, he remembers the term “legacy fight.”
Continue reading to find out why White is obsessed with this match-up and thinks, “This is a fight that had to be done.”
The UFC 295 fight is set to take place on November 11 at the Madison Square Garden. This extraordinary occasion will witness a thrilling title fight between two legendary fighters, Jones and Miocic.
Jones, a remarkable champion two-times in the light heavyweight division, has an impressive record of 11 successful title defenses. Meanwhile, Miocic, a distinguished heavyweight champion, holds the distinction of securing the most victories in title fights in the history of the UFC’s heavyweight division. He boasts an incredible tally of 6 victories. Notably, he achieved a remarkable feat during his initial reign by achieving three consecutive title defenses.
There has been significant discussion and anticipation surrounding a potential matchup between Jones and Miocic since Jones expressed his desire to move up to the heavyweight division in 2020. Fans and experts alike are intrigued by the prospect of these two exceptional fighters, aged 36 and 40, respectively, facing off against each other.
When former champion Francis Ngannou couldn’t come to a deal with the UFC and departed the organization, speculation of a Jones vs. Miocic vacant championship bout accelerated. An interim title fight was said to be in contention late last year while Ngannou was in contract discussions with the organization. In the end, that didn’t happen because Jones defeated Ciryl Gane in his heavyweight debut this past March, snapping up the vacant championship with a first-round submission victory at UFC 285. When Miocic was cage side at T-Mobile Arena, Jones immediately proclaimed himself the best of all time and singled out Miocic. They’ll ultimately square off eight months from now in what White is pleased to have arranged as a type of fight fans’ ideal matchup.
The forthcoming clash between Jones and Stipe holds immense significance in terms of their respective legacies. This highly anticipated encounter is seen as a meeting between the most renowned mixed martial artist in history and the most esteemed heavyweight champion of all time. Also, this showdown is particularly notable as it marks Jones’ transition to the heavyweight division, adding an additional layer of anticipation to the already captivating matchup.
Dana expressed that this fight was necessary and that Madison Square Garden couldn’t be a more suitable location for it. It will be Miocic’s first fight since losing the heavyweight belt against Ngannou in the second round of their rematch on March 27, 2021. Before that, Miocic had a trilogy with future UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier and went 2-1.
In 2016, Miocic achieved a momentous victory in the first round against Fabricio Werdum. This earned him the prestigious UFC heavyweight championship. This marked his initial ascent to the top of the division. Following his triumphant title defense against prominent fighters like Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou, Miocic encountered a setback in his first encounter with Cormier, which initiated their captivating trilogy.
What do you think of this bout? Was it really meant-to-be or is White over-selling it? Comment below to tell us!
