Jones has cooled on the idea of fighting his next challenger, should he defeat Miocic. British fighter Tom Aspinall has held down the division as interim heavyweight champion — a title necessitated by Jones’ lengthy absence — and has been chirping for months about a unification bout.

In the buildup to UFC 309, there's been a lot of criticism surrounding Stipe Miocic's upcoming fight against Jon Jones. But to the former heavyweight champion, it's all white noise. Miocic returns to

From the files of having your cake and eating it, too, it has been difficult to come to terms with Jon Jones' self-narrative of late as the often reclusive UFC legend has resurfaced in the media cycle entering just his second bout in a span approaching five full years.