When two giants collide, every ounce counts. And for Jon Jones, the stakes have never been higher as he gears up to take on Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16. The clash was originally scheduled for UFC 295 last year, but due to a pectoral tendon tear suffered by ‘Bones’, the fans have had to wait to see the two legends collide!

After a record-setting reign as the light heavyweight champion with 11 title defenses, Jones moved up to heavyweight in 2023. As he edges closer to his fight with Miocic, Jones recently revealed a surprising tidbit. The heavyweight transformation has, in many ways, brought him back to his roots and he’s made a bold decision for this fight.

Jon Jones shares a weight update ahead of UFC 309 as he drops some pounds   

In a recent post shared on his Instagram account, Jon Jones shared a glimpse of the work he has been putting in to prepare for Stipe Miocic. With the undisputed heavyweight crown on the line, and a year off due to injury, ‘Bones’ captioned the post, “240 pounds, fast and strong.”

While his frame has thickened, his power sharpened, yet, remarkably, he confessed it doesn’t feel all that different from his days as a light heavyweight. Jones further stated, “I used to walk around at 235lbs as a light heavyweight. This almost feels like a light heavyweight fight without the weight cut”

Can Jones truly maintain the speed that defined his light heavyweight reign? At UFC 285, in his first fight as a heavyweight against Ciryl Gane, the champion tipped the scales at 248 pounds. At 247.5 pounds, Gane came close in size, yet Jones’s agility and technical prowess proved unparalleled. It took ‘Bones’ just one round to dismantle the Frenchman and claim the vacant heavyweight title.

Now, against Miocic, Jones is carrying less weight, potentially sacrificing muscle for speed. And in a division where even a fraction of a second can spell victory or defeat, this choice might be a game-changer. Miocic’s punching power is legendary with knockouts over Daniel Cormier, Junior Dos Santos, and Alistair Overeem under his belt, yet Jones’s agility may keep him just out of reach. However, despite the former UFC light heavyweight star’s transformation and an incredible heavyweight debut, there’s one man who believes Stipe Miocic might just pull off an earth-shattering upset at UFC 309!

Interim heavyweight champion believes Stipe Miocic can shock the world against Jones

Tom Aspinall, the current interim heavyweight champion, has cast his lot with an unlikely hero. As Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic prepare to battle it out at Madison Square Garden for the undisputed heavyweight title, Aspinall is betting on the underdog, Stipe Miocic.

The former heavyweight champion has been out of action since he lost his title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in 2021. With such a long lay-off, there have been concerns about Miocic’s chances against Jones but according to Aspinall, the Cleveland native is more than capable of handing ‘Bones’ the first genuine loss of his MMA career.

In a recent interview, Aspinall revealed, “I think that Stipe Miocic has got big knockout power in comparison to Jon Jones. So I think he can knock him out.”  He further highlighted the fact that the former UFC heavyweight champion has shown he’s no stranger to putting opponents to sleep, and Aspinall firmly believes he’s got a solid shot at doing the same to Jones. For ‘Bones’, who’s used to dominating both the physical and mental aspects of his fights, Miocic might be the storm he didn’t see coming!

Aspinall’s support for Miocic adds an intriguing layer to UFC 309, daring fans to question if Jones is truly unstoppable. Will Stipe Miocic, the underdog with dynamite in his fists, bring Jones’s reign to a screeching halt? Or will Jones, reinvented and as formidable as ever, prove once again why he’s one of the greatest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!