Report | Chael Sonnen claims Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight could be in the works

According to current Bellator fighter and ESPN analyst Chael Sonnen, ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani has caught wind of a potential fight between reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. While Helwani has yet to break the news of this matchup himself, Sonnen claims the veteran reporter has spilled the beans to him.

“When Ariel says he is ‘hearing talks’, Ariel knows,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel (via Pundit Arena). “Ariel is a journalist – he does not speculate, he says I’m hearing that both parties have agreed – or that both parties are interested, rather.

“Now listen to this one. Listen to what Ariel said. Jon Jones, at heavyweight, versus – and I know you’re all going to think I’ll say Daniel Cormier or Brock Lesnar, I’m not.

“Jon Jones versus Stipe Miocic. Woah! That got my attention. Really?

“Stipe Miocic, who has kind of been sitting out and playing hard-ball, all of a sudden is willing to come to the table for Jon Jones? That’s compelling as hell to me.

“And it does serve the purpose of setting somebody big up for Daniel [Cormier] because whoever comes out of that fight – people are going to say ‘I want to see you take on Daniel.”

A potential fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic is one that fans have been dreaming of for quite some time — particularly back when Miocic still held the heavyweight belt.

Miocic lost the belt in June of 2018, when he was knocked out in the first round by Jones’ arch rival Daniel Cormier. He has not fought since.

Jon Jones, on the other hand, has rebounded from a long stint on the bench with back-to-back beatings of Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Smith.

Does a fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic interest you?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 3/27/2019.