In an effort to garner attention towards his upcoming legacy fight, Stipe Miocic likely didn’t anticipate that his trash talk would provoke UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones. With their showdown at Madison Square Garden on November 16 approaching, both Miocic and Jones had been maintaining their respective stances. However, amidst the ongoing Aspinall-Jones verbal sparring stealing the spotlight, Miocic’s words seemed to strike a nerve with Jones. ‘Bones’ wasted no time in firing back at the two-time former champion, tweeting, “Hiring black fighters to mimic me will not help you, Stipe. And you shouldn’t have called me a b-tch.”

A few days after his statement, Miocic addressed his disrespectful remarks in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani. When Helwani reminded him of what he said about Jones, Miocic expressed regret. He cleared the air, saying, “I was just talking to me. I wasn’t talking to him. Bring it on, yeah. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. Okay, so I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to disrespect anyone. It was just, you know, just the moment, I guess.”

However, Miocic’s bold move doesn’t appear to have gone in vain. The impact of his remark is already causing a stir in the MMA community. What once seemed like a one-sided, lackluster matchup now has a different dynamic, as Miocic’s comments have reignited Jon Jones’ desire to step into the octagon. ‘Bones’ is of course returning after an 18-month hiatus due to a shoulder injury, and now has even more motivation to prove himself.

Fans should also remember that this pay-per-view event will be the first since the ban on the 12-6 elbow strike was lifted, a move that Jones is infamously known for. It will be interesting to see how Miocic handles that signature strike when the two meet in the cage.

Jon Jones reacts to the lifting of the 12-6 Elbow Ban

The lifting of the 12-6 elbow ban has been a cause for celebration across the MMA community. However, for Jon Jones, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, there’s still one unresolved issue hanging over his career as he nears his rumored swansong this weekend. His 27-1-0 record, with just one loss, is marred by a controversial strike that, as of November 1, has now been legalized by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) and Combative Sports Committee. Jones is eager to erase this blemish, which dates back to his lone loss at the Ultimate Fighter finale in 2009.

In that fight, Jones dominated his opponent, Matt Hamill, but was disqualified for delivering multiple 12-6 elbow strikes while on top. The referee, Steve Mazzagatti, did not issue a warning before calling for the disqualification. Jones appealed the decision to the Nevada Athletic Commission, but his plea was dismissed. Years later, after hearing about the lifting of the ban, Jones expressed hope. He quickly took to social media, tagging UFC president Dana White and saying, “Undefeated then, undefeated now @danawhite we gotta get that loss out of the history books.”

What’s your take on the growing tension between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic? Do you think their respectful relationship, which has developed over their careers, has suddenly turned hostile just days before their fight? Is this a calculated move to build hype for UFC 309? Drop your opinion below.