Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic target date pushed back to September

The UFC heavyweight showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic has been pushed back once again.

In August 2020, ‘Bones’ announced he was vacating his light-heavyweight title to move up. While he was expected to fight Francis Ngannou for the UFC heavyweight championship, his debut has been pushed back repeatedly for various reasons.

Jones has stated that he needed more time to put on muscle, as well as get acclimated to training. The 34-year-old notably moved to Henry Cejudo’s Fight Ready camp in Arizona last year.

Recently, Dana White has confirmed that Jones’s return was targeted for July. The opponent was also expected to be former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. While not confirmed, the bout was rumored to be the headliner for International Fight Week, and feature an interim title on the line.

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic may indeed fight later this year. However, it’s not going to happen in July. CagesidePress’s Alex Behunin first reported the news on Twitter. MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani also confirmed that the fight is now indeed being moved.

Helwani reportedly spoke to Jones’ manager Richard Schafer, who confirmed that the fight was moved. The acclaimed MMA journalist reportedly noted that it was ‘Bones’ side of things that requested the move, as his team said that a July fight was too soon.

Image Credit: DAZN

The move isn’t exactly a shocking one. Both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic have been out of the cage for a prolonged period of time. The former light-heavyweight champion was last seen in action at UFC 247 in July 2020.

There, Jones picked up his last win at 205 pounds with a decision victory against Dominick Reyes. Miocic, meanwhile, was last seen at UFC 260 in March 2021, losing to Francis Ngannou.

What do you think about Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic being moved? Do you think the fight will happen?