Daniel Cormier believes Stipe Miocic’s layoff has been too lengthy for him to return again in opposition to somebody the caliber of Jon Jones.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC), the UFC heavyweight champion, is insistent on rebooking his title struggle in opposition to Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) upon his return from harm. Jones was scheduled to face Miocic within the UFC 295 predominant occasion however withdrew after tearing his pectoral tendon. He additionally just lately had surgical procedure on his left elbow.
Not solely does Cormier desire Jones to struggle interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall as a substitute, he doubts Miocic might be in prime type in opposition to Jones. Miocic hasn’t competed since shedding his heavyweight title by knockout to Francis Ngannou in March 2021.
“The hardest struggle and essentially the most significant struggle in all of preventing proper now’s Jon Jones-Tom Aspinall,” Cormier stated on his “Funky and the Champ” present with Ben Askren. “I don’t even know at this level if it ought to be Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, and I like Stipe. Stipe’s an important man, however at that age, with that a lot break day – look, I fought till I used to be 41, and I used to be comparatively energetic earlier than I had again surgical procedure. I fought thrice in 2018 once I was 39 years previous as a result of I used to be heathy.
“However to go that lengthy with out a struggle, and the final struggle being a brutal knockout, right into a title struggle with a man like Jones? I don’t know. I don’t know what Stipe appears to be like like right this moment. For 4 years, he’s lived the lifetime of a traditional individual. Positive, he might go to the gymnasium and practice, however Ben, since you’re in there wrestling with these children each day, does that make you a aggressive wrestler nonetheless? It doesn’t. Can Stipe nonetheless compete at that degree, is the query.”
Jones was in a position to efficiently return after greater than three years away when he wanted lower than a spherical to submit Ciryl Gane and declare the vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 285 in March 2023.
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