'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has included potential opponent Jon Jones in his Mount Rushmore of best UFC fighters in history.
Miocic discussed his list of fighters, including Anderson Silva, Royce Gracie, and Georges St-Pierre. In an interview with The Residency Podcast, Miocic said:
"There's so many guys, GSP of course, Mighty Mouse, Anderson Silva, [Royce] Gracie, I can go for days. I mean, there are a lot of guys. Jon Jones."
Watch the interview clip below:
Miocic is set to return to the octagon this year after his brutal second-round knockout loss against Francis Ngannou at UFC 260. 'The Predator' has been out out of the picture since his title defense against Ciryl Gane and is currently undergoing rehabilition after undergoing surgery on his ACL.
Many fans now believe that with Ngannou's absence, Miocic could face off against a returning Jones for the first time. Jones, meanwhile, hasn't stepped foot in the UFC since early 2020 after beating Dominick Reyes to retain the light heavyweight title at UFC 247. Since then, he has relinquished the title while revealing that he will be moving up a weight class when he returns.
UFC President Dana White recently revealed on The Jim Rome Show that Jones is expected to make his long-awaited return in 2022. He said:
“Yeah, Jon Jones is ready to go, we’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either gonna be Francis, depending on how long his knee is gonna take to recover, or Stipe Miocic.”
Watch Dana White talk about Jones' return in the below video:
Fans excited after Stipe Miocic workout video surfaces ahead of rumored return against Jon Jones
Stipe Miocic took to Instagram to update his fans about his return status ahead of a potential fight with Jones. His caption read:
“With great size, comes great responsibility.”
Watch the Instagram video of Stipe Miocic's training below:
The 39-year-old was seen performing weighted lunges in an attempt to go over 225 lbs. Many believe that he gave up a significant weight advantage to his opponents in recent fights but paid the price against Francis Ngannou.
While both fighters will know that a victory could put them back into title contention, Jones will be looking to create more history as he makes his heavyweight debut in the UFC. This potential blockbuster promises to be one of the most eagerly awaited fights of 2022.
