Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic admitted that he could not accept a fight against current champion Jon Jones, so their negotiations were delayed.
As a reminder, the fight between Miocic and Jones for the UFC heavyweight title will take place in the main event of UFC 295 on November 11 in New York.
Ahhhhh there were moments... We'll talk off camera... The first time [the UFC] asked I said, 'Not right now, I can't.' I told them I could do it a few weeks later but they said no. Other things came up. People don't understand that there's a lot more to it than me not trying to fight...
Stipe Miocic in an interview with Michael Bisping
Miocic, 40, last fought against Francis Ngannou in March 2021 at UFC 260. In that fight, Stipe was defeated by knockout in the second round. He has 20 wins and four losses under his belt.
Jones last went up against Ciryl Gane in March of this year at UFC 285. This fight ended in favor of Jones with a choking submission in the first round. Thus, he won the championship belt in the heavyweight category. He has 27 wins and one defeat on his record.