Nothing is set in stone at this point, but Brandon Gibson is treating UFC 309 fight camp like it’s Jon Jones’ last dance.
Jones is scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the headliner of UFC 309 on November 16th at Madison Square Garden in New York. “Bones” has hinted numerous times that this may be his last mixed martial arts bout. Gibson, who coached Jones for many years in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is not taking anything for granted.
“Physically and mentally, I think he can go in there and have five or six more great performances,” Gibson told MMAFighting.com. “John has nothing left to prove. I think he really wants a match with Stipe. I think this match will help solidify John’s status as a great heavyweight champion.” But it’s not something we talk about every night in the gym.November 16th is definitely in the spotlight, but every time I go to practice, I’m going to give it my all.
“If we can get one more, two more after this, it will be a huge blessing. I’m also ready to see John hang up. Raise the belt. I think they’re obviously better than slow. I hope they leave soon. Of all the fighters, John has the right to leave at any time. I will always support them.”
Jones returned from a three-year hiatus at UFC 285, defeating Cyril Gane via first-round submission to win the vacant heavyweight title. A torn chest sidelined his scheduled fight with Miocic at UFC 295 last year, but Jones has insisted on rescheduling his fight against the opponent with the most heavyweight title defenses in the promotion’s history. This desire comes in response to criticism from some in the MMA community who want Jones to face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
“There’s always the next No. 1 candidate,” Gibson said. “There’s never a perfect time to go out. Someone’s always going to say, ‘But you didn’t fight that guy.’ For me, it doesn’t matter.
UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
“Ten years from now, there will be a conversation between generations: What do we do? [Muhammad] Ali objected [Mike] Tyson? What would Tyson do against Tyson Fury? This type of discussion will definitely continue in the future. There are always a lot of “what ifs” in this fight, but what I do know is that on November 16th, we’ll be standing on the other side of the cage, across the Octagon, on the other side of Stipe and his great team. It means that there is. That’s what we focus on. ”
Even if the 37-year-old Jones is headed toward retirement, that doesn’t mean his skills have diminished. Gibson continued to impress the former light heavyweight champion during his current camp.
“He’s getting stronger, faster and more skilled at heavyweight,” Gibson said. “In the early days, it took a lot of size and mass to move up from light heavyweight to heavyweight. Now his body has gotten used to that size. Look at his recent photos. So, seeing how he was toning up for the heavyweight division, we formed this super team of training partners and coaches.
“John is also one of the best students in the game, so he’s always learning. I think he’s already the most dangerous heavyweight, but when you add a ton of new tools to that, it’s just terrifying. There’s no way to win against Jon Jones, so he’s going to be a nightmare to coach against.”
It’s possible that Jones may choose to continue competing after UFC 309, but for now Gibson is true to his word and dethroned the heavyweight champion. That means “Bones” could say goodbye to MMA in his home state later this month.
“Whenever John is ready, I’ll be with him,” Gibson said. “I’m approaching this as if this is my last challenge, my last rodeo.”
