When UFC 309 arrives this Saturday in New York City, it will have been 683 between fights for UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones.
Dana White’s GOAT, all but undefeated (yes, there’s that asterisk against Matt Hammill, under a rule set that no longer applies), a champion in two weight classes, the greatest light heavyweight of all time. That’s Jon Jones in a nutshell, discounting all the scandals and controversy outside of the cage, and a litany of drug test failures.
Long layoffs are nothing new for Jones, but at this late stage of his career, every day counts. And so “Bones” returns to face the man considered the greatest heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic. The man with the most consecutive heavyweight title defenses (3). The man with two title reigns.
It’s a legacy fight, for sure, though even a year ago, when it was originally booked to headline UFC 295, there were questions. Miocic has not fought since a 2021 loss to Francis Ngannou, that cost him the heavyweight title. It’s Ngannou, now under the employ of the PFL, who is the lineal heavyweight champion, and who can lay claim to “Baddest Man on the Planet,” or at least in MMA. A Jones win over a 42-year old Miocic fighting for the first time in 1330 days? What does that do for the legacy of a fighter already considered by many to be the GOAT?
Still, there’s an undeniable attraction to Jones vs. Miocic. It will be nearly impossible to live up to expectations after the long wait, but the possibility of an upset, and just seeing these two legends in action one more time, might just be worth the price of admission.
Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler II serves as the night’s co-main event, with Chandler done waiting on Conor McGregor for the time being. That fight feels more like an afterthought, with Jones vs. Miocic the driving force behind UFC 309.
Weigh-ins go down on Friday in New York City; Cageside Press will be on the ground covering the event all Fight Week long. Full results can be found below, starting at 9AM ET/6AM PT.
Only one fighter was heavyweight at the UFC 309 weigh-ins, James Llontop. Despite his fight moving up to a 165lb catchweight, he was 1.2lbs over.
UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic Weigh-In Results
Main card
