With Jon Jones making his grand return in a matter of days, of course, the predictions have started to come in. People are interested to see how things turn out – will it be the champion who defends his title or will it be Stipe Miocic clinching the heavyweight gold for a record third time? Well, it might be one of the other, but interim champion Tom Aspinall believes that this is a contest in which the MMA community may not necessarily be able to make a pinpoint prediction. As we approach UFC 309, Stipe Miocic shared an honest opinion about what Tom Aspinall had to say.

The Englishman, in a recent interview, stated, “They’re both as experienced as one another,” insinuating that both fighters have enough miles under their belt to pull off something special. Guess what? Miocic seems to agree with ‘Honey Badger’. “I’m glad, you know, because I feel the same way. I think it’s 50-50 [and] I think it’s more towards me,” Stipe Miocic told ‘MMA Fighting’.

However, the former two-time champion isn’t focused on what others have to say about his upcoming legacy scrap because he made that mistake in his early years by letting public opinion get to his head. Hence, he’s only looking to do what he does best and get the business done inside the Octagon on November 16.

\”I don’t listen to anything outside. I used to when I was younger, when I started I was like, ‘Why would you say that? How dare you?’ I was real sensitive [and] I literally stopped caring anymore. I don’t care what anyone says, I really don’t care,” Stipe Miocic added. On the other hand, while Tom Aspinall did mention the UFC’s resident firefighter’s fight against Jon Jones being a 50-50 of sorts, he also believes that Miocic might just overwhelm the champion, to which Miocic agreed.

“Knockout power” is going to be key for Stipe Miocic, claims Tom Aspinall

Fans are already aware of how devastating Stipe Miocic’s power can be. Besides being a low-key, not-so-vocal individual, he does have dynamite in his hands as he holds the record for most knockouts in heavyweight title fights. As such, Tom Aspinall believes that Miocic’s power will certainly put an end to Jon Jones. The only thing that the Ohio native has to keep an eye on is to use Jones’s big frame against him.

“I’d be looking for the knockout against Jon Jones is what I’d be looking for with him,” Tom Aspinall told ‘Safest Casino Sites’. “I’d just be using my size on him, trying to push him back and knock him out… Stipe Miocic has got big knockout power in comparison to Jon Jones. So I think he can knock him out.” So yes, Miocic has the backing of the interim champion, who is confirmed to be the backup fighter for UFC 309’s headliner.

While all these predictions are fun and interesting, it remains to be seen how things pan out for both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. What is your prediction for the big-time heavyweight clash?