Reigning UFC heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, defended his 265-pound strap by smashing former division titleholder, Stipe Miocic, atop the UFC 309 pay-per-view (PPV) occasion final Sat. night time (Nov. 16, 2024) at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis.
“Bones” captured a third-round technical knockout end with a sensational spinning again kick that crumbled Miocic and despatched referee Herb Dean operating to intervene. The stoppage marked the second straight for Jones since shifting to heavyweight in 2023.
Miocic retired following the defeat, as anticipated.
As for Jones, he was fast to stroll again feedback about his personal retirement.
“So far as my future within the Octagon, I made a decision that possibly I cannot retire,” Jones instructed Joe Rogan after the combat. “I’ve some conversations to have with Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell) and we have now some negotiating to do. And if all the pieces goes proper, possibly we’ll provide you with guys what you wanna see.”
The not-dumb Jones was by no means retiring with a victory over Miocic.
He additionally had no plans to duck present interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. That stated, he did an admirable job of convincing everybody — together with Aspinall — that he was avoiding the combat. Heck, Jones even threatened to vacate the 265-pound title.
Followers (and media) took the bait … hook, line, and sinker.
By the point UFC 309 rolled round, the fight sports activities neighborhood was extra centered on Jones preventing Aspinall than Miocic, a pre-planned technique that paid off in victory as a result of now everybody on social media is screaming for a title unification bout.
It will be troublesome for UFC to promote something aside from Bundy Jones vs. Aspinall.
That offers Jones (28-1, 1 NC) extra energy on the bargaining desk. Keep in mind, this was the identical technique Jones employed towards Francis Ngannou again in early 2020. Sadly, these plans went up in smoke when “The Predator” jumped ship for PFL riches.
A transfer that allowed UFC to rewrite the narrative.
Jones, 37, used the previous couple of months to play the lengthy sport with UFC and Aspinall and it’s prone to repay, since followers received’t accept something much less. Now it’s as much as White and Campbell to crunch the numbers and work out find out how to add to that $8 million in money.
For extra UFC 309 outcomes and fallout click on right here.
