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Jon Jones made his triumphant octagon return at UFC 285. While there were doubts ahead of his bout against former interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane, 'Bones' answered one of the matchup's most important questions: can the former 205'er still wrestle at a high-level?
His previous bouts against the likes of Dominick Reyes and Thiago Santos indicated otherwise. Furthermore, his three-year hiatus from MMA was one that many believed would leave him with cage-rust. Instead, 'Bones' captured the vacant heavyweight throne with one of the most dominant title wins in history.
His next opponent will be heavyweight GOAT claimant Stipe Miocic. Despite the former 265 lbs champion's legendary pedigree, Jon Jones is more than likely to defeat him in decisive fashion. This list details five reasons why.
#5. Jon Jones' wrestling
While Jon Jones has historically had issues imposing his wrestling on opponents who match his general size, his work with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo seems to have paid dividends. Against Ciryl Gane, 'Bones' exhibited renewed strength in his wrestling and was quick to seize wrist-control.
In the past, Stipe Miocic used his wrestling to dominate Francis Ngannou. Given that Daniel Cormier was unable to outwrestle 'Bones', there's reason to believe that a lower-level wrestler like Miocic will be unable to. His takedowns are among his strongest skills.
Without his wrestling, he'll struggle to find much success against the former 205'er. Meanwhile, Jones himself might be able to secure takedowns against Miocic. If he is capable of outwrestling a former Olympian like 'DC', he may have Miocic's number.
#4. Jon Jones is a better striker than Stipe Miocic
Stipe Miocic is an excellent boxer. Not only is the former heavyweight kingpin a former Golden Gloves world champion boxer, but he has showcased his breadth of boxing skills numerous times in the UFC. No one will ever forget his title-winning knockout against Fabricio Werdum.
Unfortunately, Jon Jones is an entirely different beast. The consensus GOAT of mixed martial arts is a far more complete striker who matches up well with Miocic from a stylistic standpoint. Due to the 40-year old's primary striking skill-set revolving around boxing, his lead leg is often overexposed.
This renders him highly susceptible to oblique kicks and push-kicks that target his lead leg. Additionally, if 'Bones' frequently targets Miocic's legs every time his foe comes forward, he'll not only stop him from landing his punches, but he'll damage his lead leg enough that Miocic won't be able to put any weight on it for power.
#3. There's a gap between Jon Jones' grappling on the mat and Stipe Miocic's
Fans often confuse wrestling with grappling. Unfortunately, not every high-level wrestler is a high-level grappler on the mat. Grappling sequences on the mat are predominantly dominated by a combination of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling. On its own, wrestling enables UFC fighters to control and pin their foes on the ground.
Elements like transitions, positional awareness and even submissions to an extent are more advanced in Brazilian jiu-jitsu circles. Wrestlers, for example, have a tendency to expose their backs to back-takes after defending takedowns by getting on all fours to push themselves back to their feet.
Stipe Miocic is mainly a wrestler and he rarely employs Brazilian jiu-jitsu in any meaningful way. He has no submission wins on his record. Meanwhile, Jon Jones is an excellent BJJ grappler with seven such wins to his name, including a submission over a BJJ black belt like Vitor Belfort.
If Jon Jones' future bout against Miocic gets to the mat, he'll have a distinct advantage that his foe won't.
#2. Stipe Miocic hasn't fought in two years
While Jon Jones managed to capture the heavyweight throne after a three-year layoff, not every UFC fighter is like 'Bones'. The truth of the matter is that no fighter is like the former 205 lbs champion. Only he can train with a 10-7 fighter like Maurice Greene and be prepared to win UFC titles after three years away.
Furthermore, cage-rust has been proven to affect most mixed martial artists who spend too much time away from the octagon. Very few UFC fighters have managed to overcome it. Dominick Cruz and Georges St-Pierre were two of the most high-profile cases of fighters who overcame it.
Jon Jones is the most recent. While it's possible that Stipe Miocic might not be a victim of cage-rust, it's unlikely, especially at his age. This brings this list to its final entry.
#1. Stipe Miocic will be 41 years old by the time he faces Jon Jones
Once Stipe Miocic locks eyes with Jon Jones from across the cage, he'll be 41. While the heavyweight division has been more forgiving to its aging fighters than the UFC's other weight classes, most fighters experience tremendous struggles once they near their forties, even at 265 lbs.
Very few fighters manage to achieve any high-level success past the age of 40. Not only will the former champion be 41, but he's coming off a devastating knockout loss against Francis Ngannou, the most powerful puncher in MMA history. Even with his two-year hiatus, it may have caused permanent damage.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik, for example, has been unable to mount a single win-streak ever since being KO'd by 'The Predator'. Junior dos Santos' embarked on his first-ever losing streak with five consecutive losses after being KO'd by the Cameroonian phenom.
Given his age, it's likely that Miocic is no longer the same fighter he once was.
