The UFC has been waiting for Jon Jones to recover so he can defend his second heavyweight title. The date has finally been set.
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The UFC has announced that Jones will face former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in New York on November 16.
Jones had stated several times that he was waiting to face Miocic, although many fans were calling for a unification title fight against current interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Jones wanted to face the “greatest” heavyweight of all time, and he will definitely do so in November.
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Jones has not fought since March 2023, when he faced Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title. He easily defeated Gane in the first round to become a two-weight champion.
Since Jones’ victory, there have been many fights scheduled, although the champion stated that he only wanted to face Miocic. On the other hand, Miocic also had a lot of free time. His last fight was in March 2021, when he lost the heavyweight title to former UFC star Francis Ngannou.
Despite the loss to Ngannou and a loss to Daniel Cormier in July 2018, Miocic has competed in eight heavyweight title fights in his career. There’s a big reason why Jones has been waiting for Miocic to be ready to fight.
Jones and Miocic were scheduled to face each other at UFC 295 in November 2023, but Jones suffered a chest injury and was unable to participate in the fight, instead opting to give himself time to fully recover while waiting for Miocic.
As for his legacy, Jones could also retire from the Octagon if he defeats Miocic in November. Jones leads the UFC with 13 career title defenses and has done pretty much everything he can in the organization.
The title of “Champ-Champ” should have been the proverbial icing on the cake for Jones’ career, but he wants to win at least one more time.
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Both Jones and Miocic could retire after their November fight, giving Aspinall the opportunity to face many of the remaining contenders in the division. This is pure speculation, but both Jones and Miocic have been in the fight game for a long time.
Either way, UFC fans will finally see the long-awaited comeback of Jones and Miocic. While no one knows what will happen in the fight, the hope is that Miocic will last much longer than Gane.
