At UFC 309, Stipe Miocic will make his highly anticipated return to the octagon to face heavyweight champion Jon Jones. This bout marks Miocic’s first UFC fight in over three years, and the excitement surrounding it is immense. CEO Dana White has been heavily promoting the matchup, which is the penultimate climax to UFC’s 2024 campaign.
Stipe Miocic recently sat down with YouTuber turned-boxer Jake Paul, who talked about his upcoming fight. The legendary fighter revealed plans regarding potential retirement and had many other trivial conversations. During the podcast, Miocic also highlighted an interesting aspect of his relationship with Dana White.
I’m good. Dana is my boss. I don’t talk to him every day. I don’t remember the last time he text me or he talked to me on phone.
Stipe Miocic via BS w/ Jake Paul
Stipe Miocic and Dana White share a turbulent relationship marked by disputes over pay, respect, and promotion. While Miocic is a decorated champion, his treatment by the UFC has often led to frustrations despite White’s recognition of his accomplishments. Historically, Miocic isn’t the only fighter to share such a turbulent relationship with Dana White.
Over the years, many UFC veterans like Demetrius Johnson, Randy Couture, Rampage Jackson, etc have revealed the same. Frustrated by this particular matter, former UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou left UFC to join PFL. Fortunately, Miocic’s relationship with White is not that hostile unlike other legends of the game.
Dana White talks about the future of the UFC heavyweight division
After the upcoming Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight, both superstars have discussed potentially retiring from the sport. Before the official announcement, many fans wanted Tom Aspinall to challenge Jones for the title unification instead of this legacy fight.
However, Dana White and Jones made sure to convince everybody that this was the best fight in the heavyweight division. However, going forward, White has no intention to neglect the current interim champion. In an interview, he talked about the future of the heavyweight division.
When Stipe and Jon were young, .. somebody gave [them] an opportunity, and I think that Stipe and Jon, whoever wins, should give Aspinall the same opportunity they had. I think both Jon and Stipe will say they’re going to retire because they’re going to start negotiating.
Dana White via UFC 308 pre-fight presser
🔥🚨NEW: Dana White says he’s willing to cut a MASSIVE CHECK for the winner of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, so long as they don’t retire, and unify the heavyweight titles against Tom Aspinall. 😮💨💰💰
“When Stipe and Jon were young, .. somebody gave [them] an opportunity, and I… pic.twitter.com/SlefMln0pW
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) October 24, 2024
Tom Aspinall has already established himself as one of the most talented fighters on the UFC roster with a massive fan base. He has the responsibility to carry the heavyweight legacy, and fans have high expectations of him. Aspinall is officially the backup fighter for UFC 309 and is ready to jump in if anybody gets injured.
