We are less than one week out from the highly anticipated legacy clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. This battle between the consensus MMA GOAT and the most accomplished heavyweight in the UFC is expected to be a banger and also the swansong for the legendary duo.

Amidst the buzz, the UFC’s social media machine is in full swing as evident from the UFC 309 countdown video. The package opened with the visuals of the iconic Madison Square Garden arena with ‘Bones’ delivering a final warning to his equally capable opponent. His words echoed, “I am a bad dude who you should not be messing with. We are just bad men at the end of the day. We are figuring out who is the baddest! So here we are.”

The long-anticipated clash between the duo was initially set for UFC 295, but a pectoral injury forced Jones to withdraw. Now, at UFC 309, ‘Bones’ is returning to finally scrap it out with Miocic. For Jones, his last fight was a dominant victory over Ciryl Gane in March 2023, while Miocic last competed in March 2021, facing off against Francis Ngannou. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall is expected to weigh in as the backup fighter for this high-stakes bout.

With two title reigns and four title defenses, Miocic is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in UFC history. Although his extended layoff posed a challenge, the Ohio native seems unshaken and confident ahead of his fight with Jones. However, Jones views Miocic’s calm demeanor as more of a ‘fake’ front. To ‘Bones’ this nonchalant attitude signals something deeper—perhaps an attempt to mask underlying nerves or uncertainty about stepping into the Octagon with one of the sport’s greatest.

Jon Jones doubles down on Stipe Miocic’s mindset ahead of UFC 309

In a recent conversation with Scott Fontana of New York Post Sports, Jon Jones shared his thoughts on Stipe Miocic’s return to the Octagon after a three-year hiatus. Jones emphasized that the long layoff, combined with facing him at UFC 309, could significantly impact Miocic’s performance. “Yeah, I’m sure it will affect him. Not only the layoff but who he’s coming back to,” Jones remarked. “He tries to act very indifferent during his interviews like he just doesn’t care about anything.”

Jones noted that Miocic’s seemingly indifferent attitude suggests he may be hiding his true feelings about the fight. “He hides them very well, but I’m sure he thinks about it every moment of the day,” Jones continued. “If he doesn’t care, better for me, but I’m sure he cares. And I’m sure he has to be nervous. I have some nerves too; it just means that we care.”

After losing to Francis Ngannou, Miocic went on a hiatus, citing the need to resolve some personal matters before returning to the promotion. Given the stakes, pre-fight nerves aren’t surprising. But with Jones acknowledging his own, fans are left to wonder: how dangerous and motivated will Jones be?

This matchup has all the makings of a historic showdown—one that will answer questions about both fighters’ legacies. Will Miocic’s extended layoff affect his performance, or will he surprise the champion? Drop your opinions in the comment section below!