Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic – UFC 309: MMA heavyweight championship fight

Jones sends Miocic into status pinch a sadistic backmost footwear to nan ribs connected UFC 309 conflict nighttime successful New York.

Jon Jones has cemented his position arsenic arguably nan top mixed martial arts (MMA) combatant of each clip by pulling disconnected a stunning knockout of Stipe Miocic to clasp his heavyweight loop astatine nan UFC 309 conflict night.

The 37-year-old American looked afloat successful power passim nan main arena astatine Madison Square Garden connected Saturday, preventing his force from leveraging his boxing skills and finishing pinch a sadistic bottommost to nan assemblage that near Miocic connected nan canvas clutching his ribs.

“That assemblage changeable man, nary matter really reliable you are, nan liver’s nan liver,” a jubilant Jones said successful nan cage pursuing his victory.

In nan aftermath, 42-year-old erstwhile champion Miocic said he was retiring from nan sport.

“I’m done,” Miocic said. “I’m hanging ’em up.”

Widely considered nan champion combatant successful nan world, Jones (28 wins, 1 loss, 1 nary contest) was nan aggressor from nan commencement and took Miocic down pinch a superbly timed travel and trapped him earlier raining down elbows arsenic he dominated nan remainder of nan round.

Keen not to get taken down again, Miocic was hesitant arsenic he tried to negociate nan distance, but Jones was capable to measurement strikes to nan assemblage from his southpaw stance to support Miocic connected nan backmost foot.

Croatian-American Miocic enjoyed immoderate occurrence early successful nan 3rd round, but erstwhile again Jones was capable to activity retired nan puzzle, connecting pinch a mates of punches precocious successful nan information earlier his imaginative rotating footwear ended nan bout.

British heavyweight Tom Aspinall looms arsenic nan adjacent challenger for Jones. Aspinall won a conflict for nan interim heavyweight title successful November 2023.

UFC CEO Dana White had promised Aspinall, who chatted pinch Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, would situation nan victor of nan main arena successful a unification bout.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones (R) fights challenger Stipe Miocic [Kena Betancur/AFP]

Trump, Musk successful attendance

With Donald Trump successful nan audience, Jones imitated nan United States president-elect’s run way creation arsenic he celebrated.

In nan co-main event, Brazil’s Charles Oliveira defeated Michael Chandler by unanimous determination to put his sanction backmost successful contention for a ace astatine nan lightweight title he was stripped of for missing weight successful May 2022.

Jones posed and played to nan crowd connected apical of nan octagon successful beforehand of Trump, Elon Musk, picked by Trump to lead a caller Department of Government Efficiency, and Robert Kennedy Jr, Trump’s prime to lead nan Department of Health and Human Services successful his incoming administration.

Trump walked retired to a rousing ovation successful beforehand of 20,200 fans conscionable earlier nan commencement of nan pay-per-view paper and seemed to bask successful nan thrill of nan fighters that passim nan nighttime gave him props — including Jones.

“I want to springiness a big, large convey you to President Donald Trump [for] being present tonight,” Jones said to a roaring ovation that bled into a “USA! USA!” chant.

“I’m proud to beryllium a awesome American champion,” Jones said.

US President-elect Donald Trump (L) and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk watch nan conflict [Kena Betancur/AFP]

Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler

In a lightweight bout that made each fan, from Kid Rock to Jordan Knight to Anthony Kiedis, spell chaotic astatine nan decorativeness successful nan 5th round, Charles Oliveira hit Michael Chandler via unanimous decision.

The conflict was a rematch of their May 2021 conflict erstwhile Charles Oliveira topped Chandler to triumph nan lightweight title. Oliveira staked his declare to different title conflict pinch nan win.

The 5th information was astir arsenic bully arsenic it gets wrong nan octagon highlighted by Chandler dropping Oliveira doubly connected his back.

The 38-year-old Chandler stepped wrong nan cage for nan first clip successful 2 years, successful ample portion because he waited for a conflict that ne'er materialised pinch Conor McGregor.

“We’ve been wondering wherever you’ve been, Conor,” Chandler bellowed successful nan cage. “Come backmost and hit maine if you can.”

Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler grapple connected nan crushed successful a lightweight conflict [Sarah Stier/Getty Images via AFP]