‘The guy is nuts’: Aussie’s $200k outlay and champ’s ‘delusional’ belief

Standing across the training mats, first time, from UFC superstar Jon Jones – and having shelled out $50,000 for the privilege — Tyson Pedro remembers wondering if the big unit glaring back at him would even so much as speak.

UFC 309: JONES VS MIOCIC | Heavyweight champion and all-time great Jon Jones will defend his title against former champion Stipe Miocic | SUN 17 NOV 2PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

“Which was weird, ey,” cackles one of Australia’s most popular ever UFC fighters.

“And Jon, he actually said the same to me later.

“How he saw me across the gym yet neither of us said anything …”

Seven years on, and things are still undeniably, err, weird for the greatest UFC fighter right now and, likely ever.

In what may be his farewell fight from all things MMA, Jones is looking to solidify his greatness – and GOAT status — in a UFC 309 title blockbuster against the division’s greatest ever, Stipe Miocic.

The Madison Square Garden headliner arrives after a week of bizarre headlines, which includes the UFC heavyweight champ refusing to shake Miocic’s hand, threatening to vacate, even snubbing any future fight with “a**hole” and interim champ, Tom Aspinall.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, UFC legend Chuck Liddell also accused Jones of “punking out” against Aspinall, while Brazilian star Gilbert Burns dubbed the champ’s claims he wouldn’t fight the No.1 challenger as a “bad” look.

Others, however, have defended the move, with UFC favourite Kamaru Usman telling us ‘Bones’ has every right to vacate the title and fight whoever he wants.

LIVE BLOG

Follow live updates from UFC 309 below! Can’t see them? Click here!

Elsewhere, there has also been a huge debate over Jones’ claims Miocic disrespected his family generally, and children specifically, while the Cleveland firefighter has himself reportedly been furious with the allegation.

Of course, all of this counts for nought this afternoon in the Big Apple when that cage door closes and Jones throws down against Miocic – who, surprisingly, remains a 5/1 underdog despite the scalps claimed by that famed right hand.

Just ask Pedro.

While he may now be gone from the Octagon, and instead preparing for a boxing switch, the western Sydney fighter knows more than a little about what makes Jones tick – having spent four fight camps training at the champ’s famed gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Put simply, Pedro says he wanted to go train MMA alongside the best guy doing it.

A decision which, all up, cost the Aussie favourite around $200,000.

So as for his biggest takeaway?

Despite Jones’ obvious natural talents, Pedro says the thing he found most undeniable about the greatest fighter in UFC history – and what he tried to take for himself – was what he describes as “borderline delusional” belief.

“My very first impression of Jon,” Pedro starts, “was that he’s a lot bigger than you think.

“He’s got this really long limbs and, while he may have looked skinny, was just super strong …”

Polarising too, right?

“Some people like him, some don’t,” Pedro agrees. “I think he’s probably been around a lot of people who he doesn’t really know if they’re on his team or not.”

But the biggest takeaway, undeniably, was that belief?

“That’s the biggest one,” Pedro says.

“Jon was one of the first champions I’d ever met and the biggest thing I took from him was to just believe in myself, no matter what is being said or what anyone else.

“His belief in himself, it’s borderline delusional.

“And having been around a lot of champions since, it’s something one thing that is always the same with them.

Liddell says Jones is not the “GOAT” | 01:59

“They believe in themselves so much, you actually think ‘this guy is nuts’.”

So as for why that initial stand off was so cold?

“I guess for him,” Pedro recounts of his first day with Jones, which came shortly after his first UFC win, “Jon was looking across like ‘OK, here comes yet another young light heavyweight’.

“But for me, I just didn’t want to come across looking like a fan.

“(Laughs) Even though I was.

“Which is probably why it all became this weird Alpha male thing …”

So as for how said ice was finally broken?

“We went out that night,” Tyson laughs. “After that, we were all good.”

But as for the UFC 309 headliners?

While Miocic boasts an outstanding heavyweight resume, Jones has this week questioned if his rival, now aged 42, and out of the ring three years, really wants to be here.

When interviewed on the Friday’s UFC Weigh-In show, Jones suggested he had “learned a lot” when the pair faced off for the first time after a press conference the previous day – during which Jones refused to shake the challenger’s outstretched hand.

“I didn’t feel like he really wanted to be in the situation if I’m being completely honest,” Jones said.

“I’ve looked at a lot of mean angry aggressive angry men in the eyes over the years

“And there was a very indifferent look in his eyes.

“I don’t know if he cares if he wins or loses …”

While going on to brand Miocic a dangerous man, Jones then added: “His eyes, they didn’t show me anything that I should be worried about.”

During the weigh-in show interview, Jones was also asked by longtime rival Daniel Cormier about the faceoff, and if he prefers to find an extra chip on his shoulder for his fights?

“I remember when you and I were fighting, I was just so passionate about it,” Jones said. “I didn’t want you to have one day over me in training.

Why Jones shook hands at weigh in | 02:18

“I remember, I think we both trained on Christmas Day trying to beat each other.

“It does do something special when you don’t like the guy.”

In New York this week as a UFC guest fighter, Brazilian welterweight Burns also spoke about Jones offering, in victory Sunday, to effectively challenge everyone not named Tommy Aspinall.

“At first when I heard Jon talking about wanting to fight Alex Pereira instead, I get it,” he told Fox Sports Australia. “Taking on another legend.

“But then in another interview, he talks about fighting Jamahal Hill and Derrick Lewis, I thought ‘OK, that’s not good’.

“If you want to retire, that’s fine.

“But if you want to stay and fight, you have to fight the best.

“Especially when you have a healthy No.1 contender like Aspinall.

“That’s why I loved when Dana said the winner of this weekend’s fight has to face Tom Aspinall, and I absolutely agree.

“And first, let’s see who wins.

“We’re pretending Jones has already won, but I think it’s going to be a war.

“And whoever that is, it has to be Tom Aspinall.”

TALE OF THE TAPE

The UFC is back at Madison Square Garden this weekend as heavyweight champion Jon Jones defends his belt against Stipe Miocic in a fight that is sure to deliver fireworks.

Jones is coming off a dominant submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, which saw him capture the vacant heavyweight crown in what was his first fight in three years.

It will be a return from a 20-month lay-off for Jones this time around as he faces the former titleholder Miocic, who has the record for most consecutive title defences (three) and defences overall (four) in UFC heavyweight history.

Miocic last fought in March 2021 when he suffered a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou and while he would have ideally got in the octagon against Jones a long time ago when both fighters were in their prime, this is still a highly-anticipated fight between two of the promotion’s best.

Miocic hijacks Chandler interview | 00:52

Jones and Miocic were supposed to fight in the main event of UFC 295 but the former had to pull out after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.

It is an explosive finale to a stacked card that sees Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler face off in a co-main event rematch of their previous bout in May 2021 for the vacant lightweight title.

Oliveira won that bout by second-round stoppage, but this time around Chandler — who last fought in December 2022 — is confident he can put himself back in the title frame with a win.

While Arman Tsarukyan looks like the next fighter to take on Islam Makhachev for the crown, there is an opening for Chandler or Oliveira given Dustin Poirier lost to the Russian at UFC 302 and Justin Gaethje was knocked out by Max Holloway at UFC 300.

Elsewhere, undefeated UFC hype machine Bo Nickal will look to make it 4-0 in the promotion when he faces veteran Paul Craig in a middleweight match-up.

HOW TO WATCH

Aussie fight fans can catch all the action for UFC 309 LIVE on Main Event via Kayo.

Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

START TIME (All times AEDT)

The action gets underway on Sunday morning with the early prelims at 10am, followed by the preliminary card at 12pm and main card at 2pm. You can expect Jones and Miocic to make their octagon walks at around 4pm.

FULL FIGHT CARD RESULTS

Main card

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic — heavyweight title

Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler — lightweight

Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig — middleweight

Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva — women’s flyweight

Mauricio Ruffy vs. James Llontop — lightweight

Prelims

Marcus McGhee vs. Jonathan Martinez — bantamweight

CANCELLED: Eryk Anders (medical issue) vs. Chris Weidman — middleweight

Damon Jackson vs. Jim Miller — lightweight

David Onama vs. Roberto Romero — lightweight