UFC 309 went down final night time (Sat., Nov. 16, 2024), which noticed Jon Jones defend his Heavyweight title by knocking out Stipe Miocic within the third spherical of their headlining bout inside Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis (see it once more right here). Within the co-main occasion, Charles Oliveira secured his second win over Michael Chandler in one other entertaining Light-weight affair (highlights).
Photograph by Sarah Stier/Getty Pictures
Greatest Winner: Jon Jones
Is that this one actually a shock? “Bones” returned after one other prolonged layoff to earn his first-ever 265-pound title protection by ending Miocic’s MMA profession slightly violently within the third spherical. Whereas Jones himself mentioned he might have carried out significantly better — and he in all probability might have — it was nonetheless a one-sided win for the previous Mild Heavyweight champion. Afterward, Jones revealed that he had no plans to retire anytime quickly, which means {that a} title unification bout towards Tom Aspinall or a mega-fight towards present 205-pound king, Alex Pereira, awaits us in 2025.
Photograph by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Runner Up: Charles Oliveira
“Do Bronx” put himself proper again within the thick of the championship image at 155 kilos by placing on a dominant efficiency towards Chandler and securing his second straight win over the previous Bellator MMA Light-weight champion. For the primary 4 rounds. Oliveira had his approach with Chandler, earlier than working into some bother within the fifth and remaining spherical. Ultimately, Oliveira reversed his fortune within the remaining body to finish the spherical in a dominant place to take house the unanimous determination victory. With present 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev, possiblly defending his belt towards Arman Tsarukyan in early 2025, Oliveira might be an observe within the consequence as a result of he could possibly be subsequent.
Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Greatest Loser: Paul Craig
“Bearjew” had a golden alternative to finish the hype of UFC’s new potential golden goose in Bo Nickal, and he got here up flat. And it wasn’t as a result of Nickal out-wrestled him as he has carried out to all of his different foes. Quite the opposite, the rationale why Craig dropped the ball is as a result of Nickal truly performed the putting sport for quarter-hour with out going for a single takedown all night time. That was tee’d up completely for Craig to put all of it on the road and out-strike a person who barely obtained into MMA somewhat over two years in the past. As a substitute, Craig appeared like a deer caught within the headlights as a result of he froze and didn’t let his arms fly. To make issues worse he saved getting tagged by the identical left hand all night time and didn’t make changes to counter it. It was a mediocre kickboxing match between each males, which prompted a number of boo birds. To high all of it off, Craig’s loss is his third straight, dropping him to 1-5 in his final six UFC fights.
To take a look at the newest and biggest UFC 309: “Jones vs. Miocic” information and notes you’ll want to hit up our complete occasion archive proper right here.
