There are certain rumors and speculations about Stipe Miocic potentially retiring in the aftermath of UFC 309. In his early 40s now, not many people think they’d see any more of the former 2-time champion, who’s returning to action after more than three years away from the octagon. Well, Miocic claims that the idea of retiring had been kicking him since his first fight under Dana White‘s promotion.

“I think every fight, I’m always preparing for my last one [and] I always thought about retiring after my first UFC fight,” Stipe Miocic told ‘MMA Fighting’. “I say that all the time. Who wants to get beat up for 10 weeks, 12 weeks, come back and do it again?” For Miocic, there’s a much bigger thing to put all his mind into right now than retirement.

The Ohio native could bag that legendary status and very well be the first UFC fighter to beat Jon Jones clean, something that Daniel Cormier, Mauricio Rua, and numerous other legends majorly failed to do. And hence, retiring is not the current focus, but becoming a record three-time champion is. “I love what I do and it’s fun. So we’ll see, but right now, my task at hand is Jon. That’s all I care about. That’s what I’m thinking about,” Miocic added.

Stipe Miocic may not have given a concrete answer as to what his next move could be. He’s not looking ahead at all, but Jon Jones seems to have made up his mind. So, is he going to retire instead? Well, that seems to be the mentality ahead of his first heavyweight title defense.

Has Jon Jones decided to call it a career after the MSG encounter?

Perhaps there is no venue as grand as Madison Square Garden, hosting some of the biggest sporting and entertainment events for almost a hundred years. Stipe Miocic expressed his excitement about the arena during the interview and so did Jon Jones in the past, and it could be a great choice to retire in ‘The Big Apple’. Well, just like his opponent, he’s also undecided on that one, but his coach claims to feel like it is the end of the road after UFC 309.

“Whenever Jon’s ready [to retire], I’m right there with him. I’m approaching this one like it’s our last go, it’s our last rodeo,” Jon Jones’s coach, Brandon Gibson, told ‘MMA Fighting’. Besides, both Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic have already made their marks in UFC history with their accolades, which makes this fight even more compelling for fans to see and find out the real ‘G.O.A.T.’ There’s every reason to imagine a retirement scenario from either camp.

We are still a dozen days away from finding out if the champion retains his title or if it changes hands. While the retirement speculations keep swirling in the MMA community, give us your take on who are you counting on to emerge victorious in the aftermath of UFC 309.