It has been well over a year since fight fans have seen UFC heavyweight champ and GOAT candidate Jon Jones in action. That layoff ends this Saturday, as “Bones” returns to action at UFC 309 against heavyweight great and ex-champ Stipe Miocic.
UFC 285 was the last time Jones was in action; his heavyweight debut saw him make quick work of French standout Ciryl Gane. “Bon Gamin” had long been heralded by many, including UFC President and CEO Dana White, as a new generation of heavyweight, who moved more like a middleweight.
It mattered not. Jones submitted Gane inside of a round, claiming the title that Francis Ngannou had just recently vacated.
If all that seems ages ago now, consider that Stipe Miocic was last in action way back in 2021. That was his fight against Ngannou, who knocked out the Ohio favorite in highlight reel fashion.
As a result, Jones vs. Miocic boils down to a legacy fight for both men. How fans view it probably depends on how they view Tom Aspinall, but as Jon Jones made clear on Wednesday, he isn’t overly concerned with the interim champ, and for a number of reasons does not want to do business with him.
It’s worth noting that Jones vs. Miocic was supposed to happen one year ago, at UFC 295. A Jones injury saw the fight scrapped, and the wait extended. Which has only added to the feeling that Aspinall is perhaps being short-changed, or robbed of an opportunity, as an interim champ passed over in favor of a fighter coming off a loss, and off the sidelines. These talking points have already factored into the build-up to the fight quite a bit, with Jones going as far as to walk out on an interview with BT Sport during fight week, knowing he’d be asked about the Aspinall factor.
Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira meet in a rematch in the co-main event of UFC 309, which takes place this Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. On Thursday, the event’s pre-fight press conference took place, with the key players on hand.
Tune into the live stream above to catch the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference starting at 5PM ET, 2PM PT.
