Jon Jones added another remarkable milestone to his illustrious career, successfully defending his heavyweight title with a third-round knockout of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.
Miocic started strong in the first round, but it didn’t take long for Jones to assert his dominance. Although Miocic landed some effective counters as Jones advanced, he became just comfortable enough for Jones to easily land a trip takedown. Once on the ground, Jones took full control, using his superior ground game. A barrage of elbows and ground-and-pound followed, with many online judges awarding Jones a 10-8 score for the round.
The second round played out similarly, with Miocic landing the occasional punch, but Jones continuing to methodically break down his defenses. In the third, Jones began to open up his attack, eventually landing a spinning back kick to the body that left Miocic crumpled on the canvas.
After the fight, Jones teased the MMA fans that a possible big fight would follow, however, refused to comment when asked whether the fight would be with Alex Perreira or a heavyweight unification bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall.
“We have some negotiating to do, and if everything goes right, maybe we’ll give you what you want to see. I know that we have options, and so I’m just gonna see what Uncle Dana wants, and what Uncle Hunter wants.” Jones said in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
Stipe Miocic hangs his gloves
After his third-round stoppage defeat to Jon Jones at UFC 309 on Saturday night, Miocic announced his retirement from the sport, bringing an end to a remarkable career crafted by the fighter from Euclid, Ohio.
“I’m done,” Miocic said. “I’m hanging them up,” Miocic said.
“He’s one of the greatest heavyweights ever,” UFC CEO Dana White told ESPN. “You can’t deny Stipe. Stipe is [No. 1 or No. 2] all time.”
After losing his title to Francis Ngannou in their 2021 rematch, Miocic remained inactive for over three years before returning to the Octagon one final time on Saturday at the Maddison Square Garden to face the man widely regarded as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
Charles Oliveira beats Michael Chandler despite a late scare
The lightweights faced off again in the Octagon at UFC 309 on Saturday in New York, and once more, it was Oliveira who came out on top. However, this time Chandler pushed him to the edge. After controlling most of the first four rounds, Oliveira had to withstand a bold comeback from Chandler in the final round to secure a decision victory.
‘Iron Mike’ took risks and nearly reaped the rewards, as he landed a devastating blow that rocked the Brazilian. However, Oliveira weathered the storm, recovered, and secured a unanimous decision victory, placing himself back in contention for the 155lb title. This marked Oliveira’s second win over Chandler, having previously defeated him at UFC 262 in March 2021.
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While Oliveira continued his surge toward the title fight with Islam Makhachev, Chandler called out Conor McGregor during the post-fight interview and also hinted towards a possible BMF title fight with Max Holloway, who confirmed he was moving to the lightweight division after his loss against Ilia Topuria at UFC 308.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
