UFC 309: Jon Jones retires Stipe Miocic as Donald Trump cheers on from cage side

Jones stops Miocic with punishing back-kick to the ribs to cement his status as arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, left, kicks Stipe Miocic during their headline bout at Madison Square Garden in New York, on November 16, 2024. AFP

Jon Jones pulled off a stunning knock-out of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on Saturday night, folding his opponent with a spinning back-kick to the body to cement his status as arguably the greatest fighter of all time as he retained his heavyweight belt.

The 37-year-old American looked fully in control throughout the main event at New York's Madison Square Garden, preventing his opponent from leveraging his boxing skills and finishing with a brutal heel to the body that left Miocic on the canvas clutching his ribs.

"That body shot man, no matter how tough you are, the liver's the liver," a jubilant Jones said in the cage following his victory.

After a cautious opening minute, former light heavyweight champ Jones took Miocic down with a superbly timed trip and trapped him before raining down elbows as he dominated the rest of the round.

Keen not to get taken down again, Miocic was hesitant as he tried to manage the distance, but Jones was able to measure strikes to the body from his southpaw stance to keep Miocic on the back foot.

Croatian-American Miocic enjoyed some success early in the third round, but once again Jones was able to work out the puzzle, connecting with a couple of punches late in the round before his creative rotating kick ended the bout.

With Donald Trump in the audience, Jones then imitated the president-elect's campaign-trail dance as he celebrated.

In the aftermath, 42-year-old former champion Miocic said he was retiring from the sport.

Jones posed and played to the crowd on top of the octagon in front of Trump, Elon Musk, picked by Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, and Robert Kennedy Jr, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in his incoming administration.

Trump walked out to a rousing ovation in front of 20,200 fans just before the start of the pay-per-view card and seemed to bask in thrill of the fighters that throughout the night gave him props.

“I want to give a big, big thank you to President Donald Trump being here tonight,” Jones said to a roaring ovation that bled into a “USA! USA!” chant.

"I'm proud to be a great American champion,” Jones said.

British heavyweight Tom Aspinall looms as the next challenger for Jones. Aspinall won a fight for the interim heavyweight title last November in the Garden. UFC CEO Dana White had promised Aspinall, who chatted with Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, would challenge the winner of the main event in a unification bout.

“As far as my future in the octagon, I decided that maybe I will not retire,” Jones said. "I know that we have options."

In the co-main event, a lightweight bout that made every fan from Kid Rock to Jordan Knight to Anthony Kiedis go wild at the finish in the fifth round, Charles Oliveira beat Michael Chandler via unanimous decision. The fight was a rematch of their May 2021 fight when Oliveira topped Chandler to win the lightweight title. Oliveira staked his claim to another title fight with the win.

The fifth round was about as good as it gets inside the octagon highlighted by Chandler dropping Oliveira twice on his back. The 38-year-old American Chandler stepped inside the cage for the first time in two years, in large part because he waited for a fight that never materialised with Conor McGregor.

“We've been wondering where you've been, Conor,” Chandler bellowed in the cage. “Come back and beat me if you can.”