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Stipe Miocic On Whether He Will Retire If He Beats Jon Jones At UFC 295: 'After My First UFC Fight...'

Originally posted on MMA News | Last updated 10/3/23

Stipe Miocic can’t say that his UFC 295 matchup with Jon Jones will be his final fight, but apparently retirement is something the former champion has thought about for his entire career.

Considered by many fans and fighters to be the greatest heavyweight in the history of MMA, Miocic is a two-time UFC champion and defended his title a total of four times across two reigns with the belt.

The 41-year-old hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since being knocked out in the second round of his rematch with Francis Ngannou in 2021, but Miocic will have the opportunity to win the heavyweight title for a third time when he challenges Jones at UFC 295 in November.

Miocic Reveals If He's Thought About Retiring After UFC 295

Jones has already teased that a win at UFC 295 might encourage him to hang up his gloves, and during a recent MMA Fighting interview, Mike Heck asked Miocic if he’d considered whether or not the matchup could be his final fight.

“I’ve thought about [retiring] after my first UFC fight,” Miocic answered with a laugh. “Right now I’m just focused on November 11, that’s all I care about. And then once I’m done, I’ll figure it out.”

Miocic joined the UFC in 2011 and debuted with a unanimous decision victory over Joey Beltran at UFC 136. The best run of his career began in 2015, when he knocked out Mark Hunt to begin a six-fight win streak. That run included three defenses of the heavyweight title before he lost the first fight of his eventual trilogy with Daniel Cormier at UFC 226.

Jones, meanwhile, was already considered by many fans to be the GOAT of MMA thanks to his incredible list of accomplishments in the light heavyweight division. But after winning the vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 285, a victory over Miocic at Madison Square Garden could be the perfect way for "Bones" to close out his career.

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