DANA WHITE has confirmed he still hopes to have Jon Jones to throw down with Stipe Miocic this summer.
Jones was set to defend his heavyweight title against the former champion at Madison Square Garden last November before tearing one of his pectoral muscles off the bone.
UFCJon Jones and Stipe Miocic were supposed to throw down at UFC 295 last November[/caption]
INSTAGRAM@DANAWHITEA torn pectoral muscle for Jones scuppered the MSG melee[/caption]
GETTYUFC president Dana White still wants to make the fight for the summer[/caption]
The former pound-for-pound king underwent his second surgery in the space of four months in January but seems to be making a faster-than-expected recovery – recently rugby tackling an NRL player during a trip to Australia.
Miocic, 41, is patiently waiting to get the go-ahead to start fight camp for Jones, whom White believes he’ll fight before the end of the summer.
He told Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby: “Yes, this summer it should happen.”
Jones and Miocic’s loss was the gain of Brit Tom Aspinall, who fought and won the interim heavyweight title in blistering fashion against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295.
And White believes the winner of Jones vs Miocic – both of whom have flirted with retirement – should face the Wigan warrior next.
The UFC‘s president and CEO said: “It’s interesting [on the retirement aspect].
“I think it depends on who wins. I mean, either guy that wins, how do you not fight Aspinall?”
White reckons either man sticking around to fight Aspinall and getting the better of him will do wonders for their respective legacies.
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GETTYDana White wants the winner of Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic to face Brit Tom Aspinall[/caption]
He said: “I think there’s a — it’s almost like a courtesy, if you will.
“If you’re looked at as one of the G.O.A.T.s, whoever wins this fight, it’s almost like a courtesy thing to give that guy the shot.
“Give him an opportunity to win or you win and it just absolutely cements… nobody can poke holes in [the legacy] that nobody can say anything about it.”
Jones, 36, was initially cold on the idea of a unification fight with Aspinall but has since changed his tune.
He told Submission Radio: “The Tom fight is definitely not off the table.“Especially with how I’ve been feeling being out here.
“I feel just totally reinvigorated and just re-energized being around all these fans.
“So, I can’t just walk away.
“So, the ball is rolling in a really positive direction for me to continue my career.”
GETTYJon Jones claimed the heavyweight title last March at UFC 285[/caption]