Fedor Emelianenko, one of the all-time greats in MMA, never entered the UFC. Back in the day, the promotion tried its best to get the Russian heavyweight on board, but contractual negotiations fell through. But hey, one of the biggest UFC heavyweight matchups is about to take place at UFC 309: Jon Jones versus Stipe Miocic, and of course, Emelianenko had to talk about this legacy fight. What did he say?

In an interview with Ushatayka, he gave his blunt opinions about how he thought the fight would play. The interview was translated from Russian to English by ‘Red Corner MMA’.

“I watched Miocic fights, of course. He is a former UFC champion. His technique was interesting, he moves well. But I would say, it is just my opinion. He lacks power. He has the speed; he’s light on his feet, but he doesn’t have enough power. It was evident in his fight against (Francis) Ngannou,” Emelianenko stated.

This is a rather surprising take since Stipe Miocic (20-4) has been listed as one of the best fighters in UFC history in the heavyweight category, with the record for the most successful defenses in the division championship. Of his 20 pro-MMA wins, 15 came off brutal knockouts and only five went to decisions.

Interesting Fact: In his amateur fight career, Miocic won back-to-back five fights via TKO in round 1. This tendency seeped into his early professional career as he finished his first six fights via KO/TKO.

However, one must not forget that his opponent is none other than Jon Jones. Jones is widely considered the greatest fighter of all time in the UFC, having beaten multiple legends and Hall of Famers. He is one of the few fighters to have been a champion in two different divisions: light heavyweight and heavyweight.

So there might be some truth in Fedor Emelianenko’s claims since it is possible that while Stipe’s punch can surely knock out many fighters, the strength might not be enough to take out Jon Jones. But that is something we need to wait and watch out for. After all, ‘Bones’ has just one loss on his record, which was from a no-contest. He has never been knocked out or submitted. So it looks like he will be Miocic’s biggest test.

While people can’t wait to see them clash, is there a possibility that their fight may be canceled?

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic in trouble?

As Jon Jones prepares for his probable final bout, training footage has caused quite a panic among MMA fans. In the footage, fans noticed a bandage over Jon Jones’ left toe. For the unaware, this is the same toe that got fractured during his 2013 fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 159. So getting another injury on the toe surely made fans concerned about the fight and whether the UFC 309 main event would see a last-minute change.

Even if the fight takes place, could Jones’ kicking ability be affected by the injury? We will have to see.

Previously, Jones and Miocic were set to face at UFC 295; however, a torn pectoral muscle during his final sparring sessions led the UFC heavyweight champion to pull out of the fight. So now that we are just days away from UFC 309, fans wouldn’t want any other last-minute changes.

Tom Aspinall had confirmed earlier that he was being seen as the replacement fighter if either ‘Bones’ or Miocic got injured; however, fans are now truly invested in seeing the latter two fight.

And if Aspinall has to fight Jon Jones, the MMA realm would want it to be a title unification bout after this 309 clash. For now, fans can rest assured that there have been no major updates from the UFC that hint at the fight getting canceled. However, the toe might lead to Jones not being at his best inside the Octagon.

What do you think? Will Jones be able to win the fight? Let us know in the comments.