Stipe Miocic seems indifferent to criticism leading up to his title showdown with Jon Jones at UFC 309.
Miocic is gearing up to challenge reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jones in his bid for a third title shot, with the bout set to take place on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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In the lead-up to this highly anticipated bout, the former UFC heavyweight champion has faced a barrage of scrutiny for securing a fight against "Bones" after a lengthy hiatus of over three years. Meanwhile, interim titleholder Tom Aspinall remains on the sidelines, waiting for his opportunity at a championship unification clash.
During an interview with MMA Fighting, Miocic responded to the criticism surrounding his UFC 309 return, emphasizing that fight bookings ultimately rest with the UFC and are entirely out of his hands.
The 42-year-old Ohio native acknowledged that a Jones vs. Aspinall matchup would be huge, yet he believes his own showdown with Jones is the fight fans truly wanted to see.
It wasn’t my choice," Miocic said. "It’s a fight I wanted, and the UFC gave it to me. They didn’t have to. They gave it to me. I believe so [there’s a reason why it’s happening]. I believe people want to see that. I think a lot more people want to see the fight than him fight Aspinall. [Aspinall is] tough. He hits hard. Big boy. It’s what people want, he knocks people out.
Miocic further shared that there was a time when the noise from naysayers might have gotten under his skin, but now he brushes it off without a second thought.
I don’t listen to anything on the outside. I used to when I was younger, when I started I was like why would you say that? How dare you? I was real sensitive. I literally stopped caring anymore. I don’t care what anyone says. I really don’t care."
Miocic has been out of action since his title loss to Francis Ngannou, who defeated him with a second-round knockout at UFC 260 in March 2021.
Originally slated for a comeback at UFC 295 in November 2023, Miocic’s return was delayed when Jones sustained a torn pectoral tendon just weeks before the anticipated showdown, leading to the bout’s postponement.