Are we on the eve of Jon Jones’ final fight in the UFC?

In the UFC heavyweight champion’s sprawling, eye-opening exchange with reporters during Wednesday’s media day in New York City ahead of Saturday night’s UFC 309 he made clear that he has no interest whatsoever in fighting the organisation’s interim champion, Tom Aspinall. Speaking to the media, Jones outlined his preference for a legacy-building challenge against current 205-pound champion Alex Pereira — or even the former champ Jamahal Hill, he later said.

But in Thursday’s pre-fight press conference from the Theater inside Madison Square Garden, UFC boss Dana White underscored the promotion’s position: if Jones fights again, it will be against Aspinall — presuming, of course, that he leaves New York City as the champion.

Against Stipe Miocic, that is something that is easier said than done.

“Everyone likes first responders and I actually respect men and women in the armed forces and law enforcement and things like that so I made it a point to try and be very respectful to him,” Jones said during Thursday’s press event, referring to serving fireman Miocic.  “There’s been two scenarios now.

“First scenario he said ‘my kids will never look at me like I’m an assh*le.’ That was a direct attack to me and my family and my relationship with my kids. The second attack was him calling me a bitch. So the respect is a little bit out the window and we’ll see that on Saturday.”

He added: “It’s very personal to me, yes.”

Miocic, meanwhile, refused to be drawn into Jones’ version of events.

“I don’t even remember saying that ‘my kids will never look at me like I’m an assh*le.’ That was no direct thing to him,” Miocic said, referencing comments he allegedly made that drew the champion’s ire.

“When I said bring it on, bitch, he was pretty much calling me out, telling me he was going to beat my ass in front of a whole arena of people. Sorry for defending myself, I apologise.”

Either way, this budding war of words will be settled on Saturday night.

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