Nothing is set in stone at this point in time, but Brandon Gibson is treating the UFC 309 fight camp like it’s going to be Jon Jones’ last dance.
Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 headliner on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. “Bones” has indicated on more than one occasion that this could be his final mixed martial arts bout. Gibson, who is one of Jones’ longtime coaches in Albuquerque, New Mexico, isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I think physically, mentally, he could go in there and have five or six more great performances,” Gibson told MMAFighting.com. “There’s nothing left for Jon to prove. I think he really wants this fight with Stipe. I think this fight will help solidify Jon’s status as that great heavyweight champion but it’s not something we talk about every night at the gym. We’re definitely all eyes on Nov. 16. But each time I go to a practice, I’m approaching it as this is my last camp. I’m giving it my all.
“If we get one more after this, if we get two more, that would be a great blessing. I’m also ready to see Jon hang it up. Put the belt up. I’d prefer them to walk away obviously earlier than later. Out of all the fighters, Jon deserves to walk away any time he wants. I’m always going to support those guys.”
Jones returned from a three-year hiatus at UFC 285, where he captured the vacant heavyweight crown with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane. A torn pectoral knocked him out of the initial booking against Miocic at UFC 295 last year, but Jones has insisted on being rescheduled against an opponent who holds the record for most heavyweight title defenses in promotion history. That desire has been met with criticism from some in the MMA community who would prefer that Jones face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
“There’s always going to be a next No. 1 contender,” Gibson said. “There’s never going to be a perfect time to walk out. Somebody will always say ‘but you didn’t fight that guy.’ To me, it doesn’t matter.
UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!
“Ten years from now we’ll have all the generational talks. How would [Muhammad] Ali have done against [Mike] Tyson? How would a Tyson done against Tyson Fury? There’s always going to be those types of discussions that will come down the road, too. There’s always a lot of what ifs in this game but what I do know is Nov. 16 we’ll be standing across the cage, across the Octagon from Stipe and his great team. That’s what we’re focused on.”
Even if the 37-year-old Jones is on his way out, that doesn’t mean his skills have diminished. Gibson has impressed as ever with the former light heavyweight champion during his current camp.
“He is getting stronger, faster, more skilled at heavyweight,” Gibson said. “Early on, to make that jump from light heavyweight, to get up to heavyweight was putting on a lot of size, a lot of mass. Now his body has gotten very accustomed to that size. You saw his recent photo how lean he’s getting for heavyweight and then we’ve just assembled this super team of training partners and coaches.
“Jon’s the greatest student in the game as well so he’s always learning. I think he’s already the most dangerous heavyweight there is and now you add in this plethora of new tools, oh it’s just terrifying. He would be a nightmare to coach against because there’s no path to victory against Jon Jones.”
While it’s also possible that Jones elects to continue competing following UFC 309, for now Gibson is taking the heavyweight champ at his word — and that means “Bones” could say farewell to MMA in his home state later this month.
“Whenever Jon’s ready, I’m right there with him,” Gibson said. “I’m approaching this one like it’s our last go, it’s our last rodeo.”
