Stipe Miocic gave his first reaction after his heavyweight title fight with Jon Jones was made official for UFC 295.

In what is a fight that was all but slated to happen since March, it was finally announced by UFC president Dana White that Miocic and Jones would collide for the heavyweight title on Nov. 11 in New York's Madison Square Garden.

For Miocic, it's a chance to not only become a three-time heavyweight champion, but also defeat a fighter in Jones whom many regard as the greatest of all time.

And although it was initially expected to take place in July, it's better late than never for Miocic who is excited to make his first return to action since losing the heavyweight strap back in March 2021.

Article Continues Below
More UFC News
shevchenko, zhang
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili could be the biggest fight in women’s UFC historyGarrett Kerman ·
o'malley, harrison, ufc broadcast deal
Sean O’Malley and Kayla Harrison as champions could supercharge the UFC’s Billion-Dollar broadcast dealGarrett Kerman ·
merab dvalishvili, ufc 316, sean o'malley
Merab Dvalishvili eyes second title defense and GOAT Status at UFC 316 rematch with Sean O’MalleyGarrett Kerman ·
BJ Penn
BJ Penn arrested for 3rd time in last week amid family issuesAutumn Hawkins ·
pimblett, tsarukyan
Paddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan trade barbs, but “The Baddy” eyes Gaethje showdownGarrett Kerman ·
Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones
Tom Aspinall claps back at Jon Jones amid heavyweight beefGarrett Kerman ·

“I thought it was going to be July, but it didn’t happen that way,” Miocic said during a backstage interview at UFC 290 (via MMA Junkie). “It’s Nov. 11. I’ve been waiting for this day. It’s the fight I want. It’s the fight he wants. Nothing better.”

As for the matchup itself, many observers feel Miocic is outmatched given his age and his extremely long layoff. The general belief was that if anyone could defeat Jones, it was Miocic, especially a couple of years ago during his prime.

That said, the former champion is confident in his chances and expects to emerge victorious over Jones.

“I think it’s just the two styles – styles make matchups – we have two great styles to make electricity, a lot of firework,” Stipe Miocic added. “I’m going to come out on top and show a lot of people that I deserve to be the heavyweight champ.”