Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic could be previous its greatest earlier than date, however one can’t deny it is a authentic battle of legends.

Between them, the UFC 309 headliners have 15 profitable title defenses (11 for Jones), a mixed 47-5 document (and Jones shouldn’t even have the one loss), and wins over a laundry record of UFC Corridor of Famers and all-time greats. There’s little doubt followers have soured on this matchup given the year-long delay they’ve needed to endure, and the continued success of interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who ought to be preventing Jones on Saturday if we’re being trustworthy. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless not a nasty pair of names to see on the prime of the Madison Sq. Backyard marquee.

Making the second much more important is the truth that this might very effectively be the final combat for each males. Jones is 37. Miocic is 42. Neither has something left to show and a send-off at “The World’s Most Well-known Area” is the stuff goals are made from.

MMA Preventing’s Alexander Ok. Lee, Mike Heck, and Jed Meshew took a second to replicate on the momentous event and peer barely forward to a future which may not embrace Jones nor Miocic, plus what to make of Michael Chandler preventing Charles Oliveira as a substitute of Conor McGregor, and extra.

1. Do you suppose that is the final we see of Jon Jones and/or Stipe Miocic?

Lee: Naaaaaaaah, Jones is simply trolling.

I’m going full Prince of Positivity mode right here and predicting that, sure, if the UFC formally proposes the bout to each events, Jones will signal on the dotted line to combat Tom Aspinall. As a lot as I’ve hated each facet of how Jones has dealt with this example, the reality is he’s by no means had a motive to entertain or promote the Aspinall matchup. If something, his staunch refusal to acknowledge that Aspinall is the clear No. 1 contender—and in MMA Preventing’s estimation, the No. 1 heavyweight, interval—has solely made followers extra wanting to see the dastardly “Bones” obtain his comeuppance.

Has Jones been enjoying three-dimensional chess to construct up this combat the entire time? I imply, no, most likely not, however that doesn’t imply he hasn’t unwittingly performed the position of the heel to a tee.

That’s not even moving into the Alex Pereira of all of it, an opponent that Jones has overtly focused and would undoubtedly stick round for. Even when he by no means fights Aspinall, there’s a big portion of the fanbase that may be happy seeing Jones make Pereira his true retirement combat earlier than crusing off into the sundown.

Whereas I’m assured we get yet another Jones combat, Miocic is certainly achieved. Win or lose, he’s taking the microphone after, mumbling some hard-to-hear-but-surely-deeply-meaningful phrases after which slinking away to a well-deserved retirement.

Heck: The reply to this query is completely different relying on who wins this combat. If Jones wins, it will likely be the final we see of Miocic. But when probably the most hilarious factor in UFC historical past occurs, and Miocic wins the belt, I imagine we see each once more.

Buckle up. Let’s take a journey, and the vacation spot ends, sadly, with Aspinall getting hosed.

Right here’s the situation for a Jones win: He does precisely what he lately previewed to Kevin Iole. Jones will get on the microphone, whereas the digital camera is pointed on the smiling face of Aspinall, and no-sell the person that unequivocally ought to get the combat with Jones—or be promoted to undisputed champion—to name out Pereira. And that’s the combat we’ll completely get if he does that. From a enterprise perspective, I completely perceive it as it could be the largest combat the UFC could make proper now which will or could not contain Conor McGregor. However Aspinall will get hosed, and it’s ridiculous.

Now, if Miocic wins—and after we get the best Watch Occasion response and post-fight present on this web site’s historical past—Aspinall nonetheless will get hosed. Why? As a result of Miocic is a great man, and he is aware of how a lot cash he may make if he confronted Jones once more as champion. He’d get the champion’s extras in what can be a massively promoted second assembly. In my view, that’s what would occur, as a result of he isn’t preventing Aspinall, and for his legacy, and his checking account, he completely shouldn’t.

Poor, poor Tommy Aspinall.

Meshew: I’m genuinely shocked my pals are this naive. After all that is the final experience. Each males have all however chiseled it in stone with their phrases and actions.

Miocic is 42 years outdated, and after preventing Jones, he actually can have nothing left to show. He made loads of cash in his profession and is sensible sufficient to grasp that his physique is already deteriorating. You’ll be able to’t put a value on well being and persevering with to combat on after this one, final legacy matchup can be extremely dim, particularly if he wins. If he wins, Miocic retires on the spot, the best way Daniel Cormier ought to have when he beat Stipe to take the heavyweight title. And if he loses, clearly he’s leaving. The person principally already left anyway, seeing how he hasn’t fought in practically 4 years.

As for Jones, do I actually need to undergo this once more? Activate any of our reveals for the previous six months and also you’re sure to search out me ranting about how unabashed Jones is about ducking Aspinall. It’s clear as day and at this level the one approach to deny it’s in case your head is buried thus far up Jones’ … er, fandom, that you just may by no means enable your self to see motive.

And right here’s the factor: I don’t blame Jon! Preventing Aspinall is a high-risk combat with solely a small reward. If Jon miraculously agreed to combat Aspinall and gained, possibly Aspinall instantly loses his subsequent 5 fights and abruptly the win is like his Dominick Reyes “win.” Not lots of upside there. And if Jones loses, it will likely be devastating. To not his legacy for followers, however for Jones who’s clearly obsessed with being “undefeated” (regardless of not being that) in a approach that most likely isn’t all that wholesome.

No, the one motive Jon is constant to combat is as a result of he’s now within the Floyd Mayweather stage of his profession the place he’ll solely combat folks he is aware of he’ll beat. The person is making enterprise selections and Aspinall is dangerous for enterprise. And I suppose the UFC has sufficient disgrace on it from this complete fiasco that even they gained’t dare do Jones vs. Alex Pereira for the heavyweight title.

Except in fact Jon decides to drop again all the way down to mild heavyweight. Now wouldn’t that be one thing?

Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photographs

2. Michael Chandler avenges his loss to Charles Oliveira. What’s subsequent?

Meshew: Conor McGregor.

“What?! Jed, you’ve been main the ‘Conor McGregor won’t ever combat once more’ prepare for years now! How are you going to probably suppose that?!”

As a result of the choice is just too horrible to think about, of us.

Michael Chandler is 2-3 within the UFC, and whereas he has undeniably been enjoyable, the person was an ideal McGregor opponent as a result of he ought to be nowhere close to the title image. Islam Makhachev (or Arman Tsarukyan) has actual dudes to defend in opposition to on this weight class, and I don’t must see him proceed down the street of light-weight’s biggest hits for title defenses.

Which brings us again to McGregor.

Certainly sooner or later Conor should combat once more, proper? Both as a result of he desires to get out of his present UFC contract so he can do the Mayweather Exhibition tour and make a killing, or not less than as a result of he’s the boy who cried comeback. He doesn’t must combat for cash, however the man loves consideration, and there’s solely so lengthy he can hold enjoying the “I’m gonna smack all of them!” card when he retains not preventing.

So with that, I feel McGregor truly does combat in 2025, and whereas there are many choices for him, the UFC does appear eager on this Chandler combat. And whereas my ideas about Michael Chandler are well-documented at this level, I’ll give the person his due: he’s a prize fighter. He is aware of that preventing Conor, and possibly successful, is best than getting put within the stockade by Islam.

So if Chandler in some way pulls it off, we’re again to the McGregor drafting board.

Heck: Sorry, Jed, however Chandler shall be preventing for the UFC light-weight title if he beats Oliveira.

Would Chandler deserve it? From a wins and losses perspective, completely not. This might be Chandler’s greatest win by a big margin within the UFC, however he would enhance to a .500 document within the promotion, and be 2-3 in his previous 5 fights within the hardest division in sports activities. However as everyone knows, none of that issues. Chandler has been an organization man via and thru, he takes each alternative to place the brass over in interviews, and likewise, all of his fights are absolute barnburners, which by no means hurts your case.

As the present divisional panorama seems, Tsarukyan is the clear subsequent man in line, and he’ll get his day in courtroom in the beginning of 2025. If Chandler is coming off of a win in opposition to Oliveira, he’ll probably must be a Makhachev fan, as a result of if Tsarukyan wins, I’d be shocked if the UFC didn’t run that proper again. But when Makhachev get his hand raised, Chandler will get the shot. The query we would want to ask ourselves is, “Who else is there proper now?” All people within the UFC’s prime 10, exterior of Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker, are coming off of losses. If Chandler ever desires to combat for UFC light-weight gold, he must win this one, and I can most likely say the identical for Oliveira.

Lee: Yeah, McGregor!

OK, I’ll cease. I’m a optimistic individual, however I’m not that optimistic.

Chandler undoubtedly isn’t preventing McGregor ever and we should always all be wonderful with that. Luckily, there are a ton of nice fights left for “Iron Mike” for nevertheless lengthy he plans to proceed preventing. Max Holloway. A Justin Gaethje rematch. Recent blood rising up the rankings. And, sure, there’s an outdoor probability he’s rewarded with shot at both Makhachev or Tsarukyan.

There’s a sick a part of me that wishes to proceed pushing the Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett matchup I’ve beforehand talked about on On to the Subsequent One, however I can’t make an inexpensive case for Chandler preventing that far again within the rankings if he truly manages to beat Oliveira, one of many 5 greatest lightweights on the planet (if he loses, although…).

No, Chandler deserves higher if he avenges this loss, so I’ll push him in direction of a second dance with Gaethje. Their first combat was three years in the past, in the event you can imagine it, and it could be a disgrace in the event that they didn’t share the octagon yet another time earlier than their careers wrap.

Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photographs

3. Exterior of the highest 2 fights, what one fighter are you most intrigued to see compete Saturday?

Heck: There’s clearly just a few actually good choices, however I’m going with the bantamweight conflict between Jonathan Martinez and Marcus McGhee.

Martinez, the person I’ve deemed “The Silence Behind the Violence,” is an excellent fist-fighter, and entered the largest combat of his profession on a powerful six-fight win streak—a run that was so spectacular, he was a good favourite heading right into a matchup with Jose Aldo. In the long run, Aldo did what Aldo does and gained a transparent unanimous choice. Martinez proved he can bounce again from a loss in a robust approach, however now he faces a man in McGhee who has been a freaking ending machine.

Is McGhee the actual deal? He could be, however I definitely have questions primarily based on his present stage of competitors. But when he goes on the market on a giant pay-per-view card and stops TSBTV to enhance to 4-0 within the promotion, that can reply lots of these inquiries, and can probably get him ranked by me within the MMA Preventing World Rankings within the deep bantamweight division.

Meshew: Holy sin on a biscuit, this card is baaaad! Sorry, however I simply now checked out the entire thing to search out my reply for this query and, uh, let’s hope the primary occasion stays intact as a result of with out it, nobody is shopping for this factor.

Anyway, Mike picked the one legitimately good combat on the prelims to speak about so since I can’t decide that one, give me Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson.

Miller is much and away the UFC chief in fights on condition that he’s nonetheless competing and the subsequent closest individual to him who continues to be lively is Rafael dos Anjos, who’s eight fights again and probably not competing anymore. It’s all the time enjoyable to observe MMA’s Cal Ripken proceed his fairly probably unbreakable document.

Plus, Jackson is the right opponent for Miller: he’s strong however beatable, appears to be declining, and most significantly he’s enjoyable. Jackson will not be a world-beater, however he provides followers their cash’s value nearly each outing, and couple that with Miller’s personal violent proclivities, and we received ourselves a stew going.

Lee: thisisstillmyboy.gif

Chris Weidman, I simply can’t give up you. My fascination with “The All-American” goes all the best way again to the beginning of the 2010s, when the extremely touted Serra-Longo product went on an undefeated run via the middleweight division en path to a surprising upset of Anderson Silva that few anticipated. I can proudly say I used to be a type of few as in a uncommon second of prescience, I picked Weidman to dethrone Silva (the standup KO was unbelievably surprising, although).

Sure, it’s been a rocky street since Weidman’s champion days ended and he’s unlikely to return near these heights once more. And sure, this combat with Eryk Anders is extremely middleweighty, to the purpose that I can fully perceive why they didn’t dare have this open the primary card. Even so, I’ve by no means missed any of Weidman’s UFC fights, and I plan to be locked for No. 20.

A lotta of us can have their butts of their seats earlier than the primary card to see Weidman, such is the pull the native New Yorker nonetheless has. Add within the reality it is a favorable matchup for him and you’ve got the recipe for this possibly being the feel-good second of the evening (assuming Miocic doesn’t KO Jones).