Jon Jones looked as exceptional as ever on Saturday, knocking out Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick in the third round of their heavyweight title fight at UFC 309, held at Madison Square Garden.
With this outcome settled, the mixed martial arts world eagerly awaits the next heavyweight title unification bout.
Jones (28-1) dominated Miocic (20-5) en route to a TKO victory at 4:29 of the third round. This matchup was originally set for November 2023, but Jones had to withdraw due to a torn pectoral muscle. Leading up to Saturday, much of the prefight discussion focused on whether Jones would face interim champion Tom Aspinall if he won.
After defeating Miocic, Jones made it clear he is open to the challenge.
“I’ve decided maybe I won’t retire,” Jones said, adding that he would have talks with UFC CEO Dana White and chief business officer Hunter Campbell. “We’ll negotiate. If everything goes right, maybe we’ll give you all what you want to see.”
Miocic, 42, who chose to wait an entire year for Jones’ return, announced his retirement in the Octagon following the loss. The former two-time champion hadn’t fought since 2021 before facing Jones on Saturday.
Even considering Miocic’s long layoff, Saturday was more about how good Jones looked than about any rust Miocic might have had. Widely regarded as the greatest fighter of all time, Jones displayed his full skill set in his first knockout win since December 2018. In the opening round, he took Miocic down and punished him with elbows from the top position. In the second and third rounds, he hurt him with front kicks to the body and nearly dropped him with a jab.
The final blow was a spinning back kick to Miocic’s midsection that brought him to his knees. It was a brutal end to a one-sided fight. According to UFC Stats, Miocic landed 42 strikes — none particularly noteworthy — compared to 104 by Jones. Jones’ defense was flawless all night, making Miocic pay with counterpunches and knees in the clinch.
“He’s really, really good,” Jones said of Miocic. “He’s tough, durable. I hit him with some solid shots, and he kept moving forward. Everyone knows Stipe isn’t the biggest heavyweight. He comes in lean, in great shape. I watched him have wars with Daniel Cormier and other guys, and they were back-and-forth battles. He doesn’t react much to getting hit in the face, so our plan was to attack his body.”
Aspinall (15-3) was present in New York for UFC 309 and watched the main event from cageside. The 31-year-old English champion has been a dominant force in the heavyweight division in recent years, achieving first-round finishes in seven of his nine UFC appearances. He won the UFC interim title in November 2023 and made a rare defense of it against Curtis Blaydes in July.
Before Saturday, Jones had shown no interest in facing Aspinall, even going so far as to call him a “nobody.” Jones had stated he would rather vacate the heavyweight title than face Aspinall in the Octagon. Whether this was a negotiation tactic or Jones simply had a change of heart, a unification bout now seems very much on the table.