Legacy Heavyweight Fight Between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic Set for UFC 309
Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic were supposed to have a legacy fight last November at Madison Square Garden for the UFC heavyweight championship. But a torn pectoral muscle sidelined Jones, who had just won the heavyweight title a few months prior. Following a year-long wait, Jones and Miocic will meet on Nov. 16 at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden.
Waiting for the two men to fight has been agonizing for many people interested in the sport, notably current UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall has already defended the interim belt while waiting for Jones to heal up.
But setting aside the Aspinall issue, anyone who loves following MMAfighting latest news will be happy to finally see Jones and Miocic square off with each other. But it’s hard to know what to expect from both fights. Each man has had an extended absence from the octagon and will likely need time to settle back in.
The UFC will be happy to have this fight off the books. Miocic is 42 years old and likely would not have been able to have this fight in a few more years. Getting together two legends for a fight is one that should interest casual fans.
Will This Clear Up the Heavyweight Title Picture?
No, not necessarily. There have been rumors for the past year that Jones may use this bout as a retirement fight. Jones has yet to defend the heavyweight championship since he won the vacant title by submitting Cyril Gane.
If Jones retires, that will come as a great disappointment to Aspinall. Aspinall is much younger than Jones and Miocic and could use the bump of having a fighter the caliber of Jones to challenge.
Without having Jones or Miocic as an opponent, Aspinall may be paired with Gane. No. 3 contender Alexander Volkov has also been on a long winning streak and could be an interesting challenge for Aspinall. But the British fighter would much rather have a shot at Jones, who has done a lot of smack-talking while he has been injured.
Stipe Hasn’t Fought in a Long Time
UFC CEO Dana White said he believes if Miocic beat Jones, he may stick around to challenge Aspinall. But even people who are fans of Miocic would never go on the best MMA news site to say that they believe Miocic will still be at his best. Miocic hasn’t fought since he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou at UFC 280 in March 2021.
But Miocic, who is 20-4 in his career, has a tremendous pedigree. He still holds the record for most career heavyweight title defenses with four. Miocic had a famous trilogy of fights with Daniel Cormier from 2018-2020.
Cormier was one of Jones’ most fierce career rivals. Jones never lost to Cormier, while Miocic went 2-1. Miocic was much more of a knockout artist than Jones, but it will be interesting to see how his power holds up after his time off.
What to Think of Jones
Jones has a strong case for the best fighter in UFC history. If not for his out-of-octagon issues, it would be hard to argue that he is one of the most special competitors in the sport’s history. But more specifically, Jones was one of the greatest light heavyweights in history.
He hasn’t proven much at heavyweight yet. Jones, 37, likely won’t have the opportunity to prove it either because of his age. Jones’ interest in continuing to fight seems to depend on the day. Some days, Jones wants to prove he is the best ever.
Other times, Jones seems more interested in talking than fighting. Bizarrely, Jones was seen facing off with Ngannou during a PFL event. But the thought of Ngannou and Jones getting together likely disappeared the minute that Ngannou chose to switch the promotion he fights for
What About Francis?
Ngannou set off the bizarre state of the heavyweight division when he left the UFC a few years ago. There was talk that he and Jones were going to fight. Then Ngannou had a falling out with the UFC and other issues.
The talk of a Jones-Ngannou fight has never gone away. While the PFL was desperate to try and co-promote such a fight, that is not how the UFC does business. White built the business to make the UFC the premiere MMA organization in the world.
He didn’t want it to be like boxing. The UFC, other than a boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor, has held true to its word on the topic.
Who is the Greatest UFC Heavyweight?
While the jury is out on Aspinall’s career, Miocic should be able to lay claim to the title now. During Miocic’s first stint as champion, he defended the belt three times, while no one else had ever done it more than twice. The heavyweight division in MMA isn’t built to have long-reigning champions.
Fighting the most powerful punchers in the world with four-ounce gloves is a dangerous assignment every time out. Tim Sylvia and Randy Couture each defended the belt twice. Cain Velasquez also defended twice. However, Miocic fought at a time when the level of competition had increased significantly.
Will This Fight Impact Either Jones or Miocic’s Legacy?
It shouldn’t. Jones is a fighter who has nothing left to prove. This is a fight solely aimed at adding another bullet point to an already accomplished resume. Most MMA news sites also recognize that Miocic is past 40 years old now.
While the Cleveland-based fighter can lay claim to one of the top UFC heavyweights of all time, taking a loss to one of the best fighters in the promotion’s history after taking more than three years out won’t be held against him too much.
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By Dean McHugh.
