One of the biggest attractions of the year is the upcoming UFC 309 event in Madison Square Garden. The event marks the return of heavyweight champion Jon Jones after a long layoff from injury. ‘Bones’ is all set to defend his title against Stipe Miocic for the first time in his career. However, their battle has now taken a new turn and the champion is all fired up.

The 42-year-old made some comments about Jones as a father which has irked the champion. While there has been a lot of mutual respect between the two, the comments have not gone well with the 37-year-old. Let us take a look at what he had to say about the whole situation.

Jon Jones feels Stipe Miocic has crossed his lines with his comments lately

During the UFC 309 morning weigh-in show Daniel Cormier asked, Jones “It seems as though with Stipe you have found things now to kind of almost create a little bit of chaos. Do you just like it more?” With a stern voice, the champion replied, “At the end of the day I never did anything wrong with Stipe. And I found a video a few months ago where he was in his living room and someone was talking about me and my legacy. And he was just like, ‘My kids will never look back and look at me as an a***ole’. I will find the quote but he said it and I will never forget the way I felt that day.” 

Their social media back-and-forth highlighted the stark contrasts in their persona. Jones, often vocal and provocative, versus Miocic, is known for his relatively quiet demeanor and stoic approach. This clash of personas transcended beyond their skills as fighters, creating an emotional backdrop to their highly anticipated bout. As the fight draws closer, the tension between these two legends continues to build, with their social media feud only adding to the stakes.

The outcome will not only determine the UFC heavyweight champion but also settle a battle of pride and legacy. Up until now both fighters showed a lot of mutual respect for each other but things have now changed for good. In a UFC 309 promo, Miocic poked fun at Jones, encouraging him to “bring it on, b***h.” The former heavyweight champion did apologize for all his words, but the former champion seemed to be is in no mood to forgive him.

Jon Jones has no reason to respect Stipe Miocic after his comments

Jon Bernard recently interviewed ‘Bones’ and one of the talking points was about Stipe Miocic’s statements, where the UFC heavyweight champion did not shy away from expressing his disdain at the former heavyweight champ for his statements. He revealed that he always had a lot of respect for the fighter ‘Stone Cold’. However, he also made it clear that he surely isn’t forgiving or forgetting the words uttered by the former UFC heavyweight champion. Despite Stipe Miocic issuing an apology, Jones is in no mood to let it go.

He said, “I have no reason to have any sort of mercy, or sympathy, or play it classy. It’s all out the window now. I fight out of love; I really love what I do. And I believe I get my energy and my power from a place of love. I will remember what he said when I’m punching him in the face though.” Such comments only make the much anticipated clash more interesting as the fight is already in the balance. ‘Bones’ refused to shake the hand of the challenger during the face-off and it seems like he only means business. Fans can expect nothing but fireworks when they meet at Madison Square Garden next.

Do you think Jones is justified in his animosity towards Miocic, despite the latter apologising? Who do you think will win the fight at UFC 309? Let us know your thoughts in the comment below.