Upcoming UFC 309 presents a high-tension heavyweight match between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. This hotly debated face-off has been brewing for over a year. Jones was set to protect his title against the two-time champ in the previous November. Unfortunately, an injury to the pectoral muscle made it impossible for ‘Bones’ Jones to participate in this anticipated bout on such short notice.
In light of Jones’ injury, the UFC decided to create an interim title, which was snatched by Britain’s Tom Aspinall. This unexpected turn of events occurred when Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich after Miocic expressed his lack of interest in going against the Russian. Aspinall has managed to hold onto the interim belt, which is an unusual event in the UFC’s history.
This suspenseful development has left fans on the edge of their seats, eager to witness Aspinall attempt to unify the belts with Jones. But against public sentiment, Jones, now 37, is scheduled to fight against his American compatriot Miocic, who is 42. Many fans have voiced their disinterest in the new matchup.
Jones enjoys his status as the unanimous best light-heavyweight of all time. However, his activity within the UFC dipped for three years before he won the vacant heavyweight belt against Cyrill Gane in March 2023. On the other side of the spectrum, Miocic has been dormant since 2021, a result of a crushing defeat from Francis Ngannou in March of that year.
Ngannou’s triumphant win over Miocic marked the end of the latter’s second title reign while also serving as a sweet revenge for Ngannou’s 2018 defeat. The expectation now is for Miocic to retire post the result of his fight with Jones, regardless of the outcome. Jones himself has hinted at retirement post the UFC 309 event, or instead, a face-off with crowd-pleaser Alex Pereira, leaving Aspinall out in the cold.
UFC 309, the anticipated event hosting the Jones versus Miocic match, is slated for Sunday, November 16. This prestigious event will be set in the infamous Madison Square Garden in New York City. The early prelims are projected to start at 11pm GMT, which translates to various times across the globe: 3pm PT, 5pm CT, and 6pm ET.
Following the early prelims, the next wave of prelims is expected to begin at 1am GMT on the subsequent Sunday evening. For those residing in different time zones, this kickoff will occur at 5pm PT, 7pm CT, or 8pm ET on Saturday. The main card, the primary attraction of the night, will commence at 3am GMT on Sunday.
The main card features a handful of fights that fans cannot wait for. The showcased match of the night is, of course, the heavyweight title defense between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. Other significant bouts include Charles Oliveira up against Michael Chandler for a five-round lightweight contest, and a middleweight competition featuring Bo Nickal and Paul Craig.
The other two matches that constitute the main card are a women’s flyweight challenge between Viviane Araujo and Karine Silva, and a lightweight contest with Mauricio Ruffy and James Llontop. These matches, along with the Jones-Miocic clash, form the main event of UFC 309 and are hotly anticipated by UFC devotees around the world.
The prelim rounds consist of four clashes, beginning with a bantamweight match between Jonathan Martinez and Marcus McGhee. This is followed by a middleweight head-to-head between Chris Weidman and Eryk Anders. The lightweight duel between Jim Miller and Damon Jackson is to follow. The preliminary card concludes with a heavyweight clash between Marcin Tybura and Jhonata Diniz.
Following the above, there are also early prelims to look forward to in UFC 309’s packed program. Kicking off the early prelims is a welterweight battle between Mickey Gall and Ramiz Brahimaj. Following their fight, will be a welterweight bout between Bassil Hafez and Oban Elliott.
The last match in the early prelims features a women’s flyweight duel between Veronica Hardy and Eduarda Moura. This event, taken as a whole, promises intense rivalry and thrilling results. As the date draws near, spectators around the globe eagerly await to see how this chronological sequence of battles will fold out.