Jones Celebrates UFC 309 Win With Trump Dance
Jon Jones stopped Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024, to retain the heavyweight title. After the fight, Jones performed a dance associated with Donald Trump, who was watching from ringside. The moment became part of a wider run of sports celebrations using similar moves. UFC: UFC 309 results and winner interviews
Nick Bosa’s earlier celebration
Bosa’s similar celebration came first. On November 10, during San Francisco’s win over Tampa Bay, the 49ers defensive end celebrated a sack with teammates using dance moves described as Trump-inspired. Bosa’s moment preceded UFC 309 by six days. Associated Press: NFL players adopt the dance
Jones’s moment at UFC 309
Jones performed the dance after his third-round TKO of Miocic and pointed toward Trump, who gave him a thumbs-up, according to the Associated Press. UFC’s event recap records the title-fight result: Jones won by TKO at 4:29 of Round 3. Associated Press: Jones and the NFL celebrations · UFC: official UFC 309 results
Other athletes join in
The following day, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers celebrated a touchdown with a similar dance. He told reporters he had watched the UFC fight and saw Jones do it. Titans receiver Calvin Ridley and Lions defenders Za’Darius Smith and Malcolm Rodriguez also used versions of the move after big plays that weekend, the AP reported. Associated Press: Bowers, Ridley and Smith join the trend
The timeline matters: Bosa’s celebration came before Jones’s UFC 309 appearance, while Bowers said Jones’s post-fight dance influenced his own. The celebrations show how a recognizable dance spread across sports; they do not by themselves establish what each athlete intended politically.
Sources
UFC: UFC 309 results and winner interviews
UFC: UFC 309 event page
Associated Press: NFL players celebrate with Trump-inspired dance moves
