Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic Gets a Dirty Stain as Francis Ngannou’s Coach Reveals Harsh Reality Before UFC 309

On October 19, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will feature in his debut MMA fight under the PFL banner against Renan Ferreira. After trying his hands at boxing, ‘The Predator’ returns to his own backyard with a huge challenge ahead of him. Ngannou’s coach rates his opponent very high and feels a win against him will be a bigger one than Stipe Miocic.

His statements come at a time when Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are scheduled to take on each other at UFC 309. Jones feels a win against Miocic is enough to call it quits on his career. So the timing of this statement has raised a few eyebrows. Is Ngannou’s coach correct in labeling the Brazilian a bigger threat than Miocic?

Francis Ngannou’s coach playing mind games before the UFC 309 fight

Francis Ngannou’s win over Stipe Miocic in their rematch at UFC 260 is, without a doubt, one of the iconic moments in the history of MMA. ‘The Predator’ claimed the heavyweight title over three years after Miocic defeated him via decision at UFC 220. Miocic is now scheduled to take on Jon Jones at UFC 309, the same fighter who many felt would take on Ngannou in 2022. In the past ‘Bones’ and ‘The Predator’ have teased the idea of a clash. However, failed negotiations and Ngannou’s exit from the UFC shelved the idea of the fight.

The Cameroonian is currently preparing for his first MMA fight since 2022 against the 6-foot-8 hard-hitting Brazilian. His longtime coach, Eric Nicksick, recently sat down for a chat with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA.  He said, “You know, and this guy is on a tear right now. So his confidence and his motivation is at an all-time high. So we’re running into a guy right now where it’s like he is very dangerous. He feels he can beat anybody in the world you know.” However, he surprised everyone when he pointed out that a win against the Brazilian would be bigger than the Miocic one. The 42-year-old is considered one of the greatest heavyweights, but Ngannou’s coach doesn’t quite feel the same.

He further added, “When you look at resumes. The name Stipe on your resume is huge. But where they’re at in the quality of the wins right now in their career. I think Renan is a big win right now than Stipe would be.” If we closely look at the record of Stipe Miocic, the man holds the record for most title defenses (4) in a division that is stacked with some elite fighters. But it seems that his age and long break have made many think that he is over the hill.

The former champion is preparing himself for his toughest challenge to date when he takes on Jon Jones next. Most experts have picked Jones as the favorite, as he is still unbeaten in his UFC career. However, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and his team have a completely different take on the whole.

Sean O’Malley and his coach back Stipe Miocic to win against Jon Jones at UFC 309

Sean O’Malley and his team don’t quite agree with people writing Stipe Miocic off. The pair took to their YouTube channel to discuss the fight and agreed to the fact that ‘Bones’ will be a tough proposition. However, the kind of fighter Miocic is, one cannot just rule him out of a fight like that. Coach Welch said, “I feel like Stipe is gonna make it more of a fight than people think I mean maybe I am just thinking back to old Prime Stipe maybe he is aged who knows? It’s hard to say. Stipe is a moth** due Stipe is a beast.” The fighting world is currently divided in their opinions for the clash at UFC 309. While some feel Jones holds the upper hand, some have picked Miocic as their favorite.

Jon Jones has remained unbeaten for a long time in his UFC career, which is a rare feat for any fighter. The only loss in his career came because of an unfortunate disqualification after a fight that he had technically won. This is the reason why Dana White considers him the #1 ‘P4P’ fighter in the world despite many opposing the thought. And he is finally coming back in action after a long hiatus due to his shoulder injury and will fight Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, in all probability, for maybe the last time in his career. Not only the fans but the experts have already picked Jones as the favorite for the fight.

So, who do you think will come out on top between the two legends? Let us know your pick in the comments below.