Stipe Miocic Dismisses Jon Jones in Favor of Another UFC
Stipe Miocic’s February 2025 interview did not name Sergei Pavlovich as his choice over Jon Jones. Asked by The Schmo who he considered the “baddest man” or best heavyweight, the former UFC champion answered Francis Ngannou. The distinction matters: Ngannou was a former UFC heavyweight champion, but he had left the promotion in January 2023, when he departed the UFC and vacated its heavyweight title. Miocic’s pick was a comparison between heavyweight greats, not a callout of another current UFC fighter.
In the interview, filmed during Super Bowl weekend, Miocic was asked about the heavyweight matchup fans still debate: Jones against Ngannou. He acknowledged Jones as one of the sport’s all-time greats, then chose Ngannou.
Why Ngannou was Miocic’s pick
Miocic had faced both men in the Octagon. He lost the UFC heavyweight title to Ngannou by second-round knockout at UFC 260 in March 2021, after beating him by unanimous decision in their first meeting in January 2018, according to the UFC’s career record. Those fights gave Miocic direct experience of Ngannou’s power and development. His answer in the interview was his opinion about a hypothetical matchup, not an official ranking or a prediction that the two men would meet.
Jones, meanwhile, moved up from light heavyweight and won the vacant UFC heavyweight championship by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round at UFC 285 in March 2023. He later defended that title against Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024. Jones stopped Miocic with a spinning back kick and follow-up strikes at 4:29 of the third round. The official result and scorecards are available through the UFC’s event coverage.
His long-discussed fight with Jones had already happened, and Miocic announced his retirement after the loss, as reported by the Associated Press. It was not a fight that was still “in the works,” nor was the 2025 interview a fresh challenge to Jones. It was a veteran’s answer to a hypothetical question about two heavyweight stars he had fought.
The heavyweight picture changed after the interview
Ngannou had separated from the UFC in 2023 after leaving as champion and pursued boxing and mixed martial arts outside the organization. The headline’s phrase “another UFC heavyweight” is therefore imprecise when read as a description of Ngannou’s status in February 2025. He was a former UFC champion, not an active UFC roster member.
The UFC title picture changed again later that year. In June 2025, the promotion announced Jones’ retirement and elevated interim champion Tom Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight champion. That development came months after Miocic’s interview and should not be read back into his original answer. Miocic was asked to compare fighters, not to assess the future champion or the division’s next contender.
Miocic’s choice still makes sense as a personal view shaped by experience. He had won one fight and lost one against Ngannou, and shared the cage with Jones in a title bout late in his career. Fans can disagree over how a hypothetical matchup would play out, but the direct source is clear about whom Miocic selected.
Sources: The Schmo interview with Stipe Miocic; UFC 309 official results; UFC 309 judges’ scorecards; Associated Press report on Miocic’s retirement; UFC announcement on Jones’ retirement and Aspinall’s title status; UFC heavyweight champions’ timeline.
