After losing his title to Francis Ngannou in 2021, Stipe Miocic has been out of action for a long time now. In his comeback fight, he will be taking on Jon Jones for the UFC heavyweight title. His recent social media suggest that the former champion is working hard in his training, however, it’s his mentality that will give him the edge, at least that’s what his training partner believes. 

At 42-years-old Miocic might just be featuring in his last competitive fight. Many believe he is the second-best walking into the fight and will be no match for Jones. However, one just cannot ignore the brilliance of Stipe Miocic and his past records.

Anthony Smith highlights the mindset of Stipe Miocic before his UFC 309 fight

The fight between the most decorated light heavyweight and heavyweight is scheduled to go down at Madison Square Garden. But there’s more to it. Tom Aspinall has offered himself as a backup fighter for the event in case any of the fighters get injured. Looking at the Brit’s recent form, most fighters would avoid a clash with him. But it seems Miocic is ready, as revealed by his new training partner, Anthony Smith. Smith recently sat down for a chat with Michael Bisping, where he shared the details. He was quick to respond and said, “Back to Stipe. I think he will.” 

Miocic, a former two-time champion who is considered by many as the greatest heavyweight, holds a record of four title defenses. One of his biggest assets is his ability to switch off when he is not fighting, which was pointed out by Smith during the conversation. The battle between Jones and Miocic has divided the opinion of the fans. But the 42-year-old isn’t quite worried about the hype surrounding it and is focused more on his training. “He doesn’t really give a s..t. He’s barely a fighter. Like he doesn’t have the mentality of a fighter unless he is in there actively fighting. He doesn’t talk about fights, and he doesn’t really watch them that much. He trains every single day. But he is not immersed in this world at all.”, added Smith.

Jones is also making a return to the Octagon after a gap of 20 months, which has raised a lot of questions among the fans. After defending his title 11 times in the light heavyweight division, ‘Bones’ might just face his biggest challenge to date in Miocic. Waiting in the wings is the interim champion who is desperate to prove to the world that he is the best in the business. In an ideal situation, ‘Honey Badger’ would love to face Jones if Miocic, unfortunately, pulled out.

But things don’t always go as planned and come with their own drawbacks. Daniel Cormier took it to his YouTube channel to share the only downfall of Aspinall being a backup fighter.

Despite being a backup fighter Tom Aspinall may not feature at UFC 309, according to former champion

Over the weekend, the UFC announced that Tom Aspinall had been roped in as a backup fighter for the highly anticipated main event at UFC 309. Dana White, in the latest press conference of the DWCS, while speaking to the reporters, said, “Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight.” Of course, being a backup fighter means the 31-year-old Brit might just get the opportunity to feature at the event. But does this really mean he will get the chance? Not really.

While the fans are excited about the idea, former two-division champion Daniel Cormier doesn’t quite feel so. Cormier took to his YouTube channel and said, “[Sergei] Pavlovich was the backup fighter in New York City when Jones and Stipe were scheduled to fight the first time [on UFC 295]. Jones got hurt, Stipe pulled out, Aspinall fought against Pavlovich. There is no guarantee that because he’s the backup fighter, somebody’s gonna fight him,” Many experts believe Jones is scared to face the interim champion. However, only time will tell if anything like this ever happens.

Currently, the fans are waiting to see two of the best in the business at UFC 309. For the time being, let’s keep Tom Aspinall out of it and focus on the two legends. Who are you rooting for? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.