Jon Jones remains to be the heavyweight champion and the best of all time.
In his newest efficiency, Jones dismantled Stipe Miocic over three rounds within the UFC 309 principal occasion earlier than delivering a vicious spinning again kick to the physique that certainly rattled a number of ribs and despatched the Ohio native crashing to the canvas. Jones delivered a number of extra pictures as referee Herb Dean rushed in for the stoppage with the tip coming at 4:29 within the third spherical.
The win served as Jones first title protection since capturing the heavyweight title with an equally dominant efficiency over Ciryl Gane again in 2023.
“He’s actually, actually good,” Jones stated about Miocic after the battle. “He’s actually sturdy. I used to be hitting him with some fairly respectable pictures however he stored coming ahead. It was like combating in opposition to the Terminator. Very, very discouraging to hit someone that’s not reacting to it. However that physique shot, irrespective of how robust you might be, the liver’s the liver.”
Whereas it took him till the third spherical to get the end, Jones almost ended the battle a lot earlier after.
A devastating floor technician, Jones scored with an early journey takedown that put Miocic on the canvas as he began to unload with some vicious elbows. There have been a number of moments the place Jones was simply unloading with pictures as Miocic did his finest to bob and weave from the underside to keep away from an excessive amount of injury.
Jones was relentless along with his assaults from the highest however Miocic moved simply sufficient to keep away from a possible end.
On the restart, Miocic seemed like he was shifting in quicksand and way more deliberate along with his strikes, which allowed Jones to keep away from something heavy coming from the previous champion. In return, Jones linked with a few stiff physique kicks and a slick jab that stored popping Miocic within the face.
With Miocic beginning to pursue, Jones went arduous to the physique with extra kicks after which unloaded a pair of straight punches that hand the previous heavyweight champion wincing in ache. Jones rushed ahead however Miocic countered with sufficient energy to again him off momentarily.
Strive as he may, Miocic simply couldn’t discover a gap for his punches and he was always struggling to take care of the pace and accuracy coming again at him from Jones. As a result of Miocic was nonetheless harmful along with his punching energy, Jones was enjoying a methodical recreation of chess as he picked his spots and waited for the fitting opening to ship the end.
That lastly got here late within the third spherical as Jones backed Miocic up in opposition to the cage and unleashed the spinning again kick along with his heel digging deep to the physique. Miocic reacted instantly as he fell to the ground with Jones following him there for a number of extra pictures however the battle was fairly clearly already over.
A dejected Miocic refused medical consideration earlier than making it again to his toes the place he in the end introduced his resolution to retire from the game.
“It sucked ass, I misplaced,” Miocic stated. “I knew he was going to be robust. He’s probably the greatest of all time. He caught me within the ribs. I anticipated all the things and I simply didn’t do what I used to be imagined to do.
“Hats off to that man. I’m finished. I’m hanging them up. I’m retiring.”
Whereas it actually wasn’t the ending he wished, Miocic leaves as a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and a assured Corridor of Famer within the close to future.
As for Jones, there have been rumors swirling for months that Saturday evening may additionally function his last efficiency but it surely seems, he sounds prepared to return again for not less than yet another. And maybe even a showdown with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall?
“So far as my future within the octagon, I made a decision that perhaps I cannot retire,” Jones stated. “I’ve some conversations to have with Dana [White] and Hunter [Campbell] and we’ve got some negotiating to do and all the things goes proper, perhaps we’ll provide you with guys what you wish to see.
“I do know that we’ve got choices. I’m simply going to see what Uncle Dana needs and what Uncle Hunter needs and also you guys will hear about it quickly.”
