Jon Jones’s Miocic Finish Completed His First Heavyweight
Jon Jones retained the UFC heavyweight championship against Stipe Miocic on November 16, 2024. Their UFC 309 main event at Madison Square Garden ended at 4:29 of the third round after a spinning back kick to the body and follow-up punches.
Early grappling established control
Jones took Miocic down during the first round and kept him defending from underneath. The champion attacked with strikes from top position before allowing more of the next round to unfold on the feet.
Miocic became more active in the third, but Jones continued controlling range and varying his attacks. The decisive kick dropped the challenger, and further punches prompted the referee to stop the contest.
The defense followed the Gane title win
Jones had won the vacant heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023. That contest ended with a guillotine choke at 2:04 of the first round.
He took Gane down early, advanced his position and secured the submission after an initial attempt was defended. The Miocic fight became his first successful defense of the heavyweight belt.
Miocic announced his retirement
After the New York defeat, Miocic confirmed that he was finished competing. His career included two UFC heavyweight championship reigns and four successful defenses across those reigns.
Jones left the event with a twenty-eighth professional victory and one no contest alongside his single defeat. The completed performance combined grappling control and a standing finish, adding another championship result to his heavyweight record.
Sources
- UFC: Miocic fight sequence, retirement and Jones record
- UFC: Gane championship victory and submission sequence
- UFC: Miocic’s two reigns and four defenses
