Tag: Stipe Miocic

UFC 309 odds: Jon Jones swells to massive betting favorite with Stipe Miocic fight one month away

Heavyweight champ Jon Jones was already a big favorite to defeat Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Now he’s a massive one.

UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] was already a big favorite to defeat [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]. Now he’s a massive one.

When the odds were released for the UFC 309 main event after it was officially booked last month, Jones (27-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) opened as a -410 favorite and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) a +320 underdog via DraftKings on Sept. 16, but those odds have drastically changed in the past month to make Jones a massive favorite, with DraftKings currently listing Jones -550 and Miocic +410.

Those odds are even wider at two other prominent online sportsbooks, FanDuel and BetMGM. FanDuel lists Jones -620 and Miocic +400; BetMGM has Jones as a whopping -700 favorite and Miocic +500. The major shift in Jones’ favor indicates that public money has come in heavy on the champ.

Perhaps Miocic’s age and inactivity are the reasons why. The former UFC heavyweight champion, now 42, hasn’t competed since March 2021 when he lost the title to Francis Ngannou by vicious second-round knockout.

Jones, 37, has competed just once since February 2020. The former longtime light heavyweight champion debuted at heavyweight and submitted Ciryl Gane to win the title vacated by Ngannou in March 2023. Jones is returning from a torn pectoral that canceled the originally scheduled fight with Miocic last November at UFC 295.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Greg Jackson: Stipe Miocic ‘deserves better’ than for Jon Jones to simply move on to Tom Aspinall

Coach Greg Jackson thinks it would be dishonorable for UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones not to fight Stipe Miocic.

Coach Greg Jackson thinks it would be dishonorable for UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] not to fight [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag].

Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his title vs. former champ Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the UFC 309 main event Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jackson insists Jones has nothing left to prove, but adding a name like Miocic to his resume is what motivates him.

“I think because Stipe is so legendary – I mean, the guy’s one of the best heavyweights,” Jackson said on the “Weighing In” podcast. “You could argue he’s one of the best heavyweights ever. So I think that’s the challenge that Jon needs because there’s always going to be young guys coming up. There’s always going to be a new phenom. There’s always going to be another guy that’s like, ‘Oh, this guy’s super tough.’

“So I think the attraction for Jon on that is it’s really two legends fighting each other. At this point in Jon’s career, he doesn’t need to fight. He could stop today and be fine. But I think that gets him up, the idea of Stipe and how great he is and how tough he is and to compete against that. I think he’s looking for a legacy thing there in my opinion.”

As of right now, Jackson thinks Miocic will be Jones’ final fight. However, if the fans demand it and Dana White pays him enough money, Jackson thinks Jones would be willing to fight Aspinall.

Considering that Jones was already booked to face Miocic at UFC 295 before Jones withdrew due to injury, Jackson says it wouldn’t have been fair to Miocic if Jones moved on to Aspinall.

“Maybe he will. I don’t know,” Jackson said of the possibility of Jones fighting Aspinall. “I do know that we had this fight locked up before any of that drama all happened. To me, it would be a terrible move to tell Stipe, ‘Oh, never mind, we’re not going to fight you after all. We’re going to go after this guy.’ I mean, Stipe deserves better than that. He’s not only a great fighter, but he’s a great guy, too.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Anthony Smith says Stipe Miocic would fight Tom Aspinall: ‘He couldn’t care less about Jon Jones’

If Jon Jones doesn’t make UFC 309, Anthony Smith thinks Stipe Miocic would fight Tom Aspinall on short notice.

If [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] doesn’t make UFC 309, [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] would fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] on short notice.

Interim champion Aspinall has been dubbed as the official backup for the heavyweight title fight between champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC), which headlines the Nov. 16 event at Madison Square Garden.

Daniel Cormier doubts either Jones or Miocic would fight Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) if the other withdraws, but Smith disagrees.

“I think (Miocic) will,” Smith said on his “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping. “Anytime I’ve ever had conversations about this kind of stuff with Stipe – I know that I think in this whole media world and not just you (Bisping) and I, but the media in the general and the UFC and everyone that talks about it, they make it seem like Stipe really gives a sh*t. He doesn’t really give a sh*t. He’s barely a fighter. Like, he doesn’t have the mentality of a fighter unless he’s in there actively fighting. He doesn’t talk about fights, he doesn’t really watch them that much. He trains every single day, but he’s just not immersed in this world at all.

“He wants to beat Jon because everyone else says that Jon is the best. He couldn’t care less about Jon Jones. He just doesn’t. Whether it’s Jon or it’s Tom Aspinall, he’s going to train about the same. It’s not going to really change much. He has that mentality where it’s not about what that guy is going to do and how I’m going to react to it. His whole mindset is flipped. Here’s what I’m going to do and he has to deal with it. That’s how Stipe’s mindset has always been. So, whether it’s Jon or whether it’s Tom, it doesn’t change anything for Stipe.”

Both Jones and Miocic will be returning from long layoffs, with Miocic having not fought since March 2021, and Jones March 2023. Meanwhile, Aspinall has already defended his interim title with a quick TKO of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Dana White confirms Tom Aspinall as UFC 309 main event backup fighter

It’s no surprise who will be the first phone call if the UFC 309 main event takes a blow.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC 309 main event backup fighter doesn’t come as a surprise.

Interim champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] will be the first phone call made should the heavyweight title fight between champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] or challenger [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] need a replacement, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday.

“Yes, Tom Aspinall is next in line for anything that happens after this fight,” White said after Dana White’s Contender Series 72 at the UFC Apex.

UFC 309 takes place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Should everything go according to plan and Aspinall not be need, the main event will mark the end of an ongoing logjam at the top of the promotion’s heavyweight division.

For over a year, the promotion has remained dead set on Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) as the next heavyweight title fight. It was initially scheduled for UFC 295 in November 2023, but an injury to Jones pushed the fight back 12 months.

In that fight’s absence, Aspinall defeated Serghei Pavlovich for an interim title. He then defended it against Curtis Blaydes in July. Both fights he ended inside the opening minutes.

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Although Jones has called Miocic his final fight (as recently as Saturday), White has continually voiced his hunch Jones’ fighting career will extend beyond that. White said he hasn’t spoken to Jones about fights beyond the one currently on the books.

“Why speak to him after this (past weekend’s) event?” White said. “You’ve got to figure out what’s going to happen in this fight, see how this fight plays out, and then we’ll go from there.”

 

Tom Aspinall reacts to official Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic announcement for UFC 309

Much to Tom Aspinall’s joy, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is finally official.

Much to [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]’s joy, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] is finally official.

Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) defends his heavyweight title vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the UFC 309 main event Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Interim heavyweight champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has long awaited the fight announcement, which took a year to be rebooked, and he plans on being in attendance – not just as a spectator, but as a backup fighter.

“Big Jon Jones, big Stipe Miocic matched up with one another – finally it’s official,” Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. “Nov. 16, MSG, New York City, the heavyweight title is on the line at long last. Finally, we are confirmed for it, and I will of course be there to watch these two gentlemen go at it.

“I, of course, have told the UFC that if anybody gets injured or there’s any other reason why nobody can make it to that fight, (if) one of them pull out, I’m ready to go. If I need to, I’ll fight both of them in the same night, no problem. Give me my undisputed title.”

After defending his interim title with a quick TKO of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, Aspinall can’t wait for the opportunity to prove he’s the true heavyweight champion.

“In my opinion, it should not be two champions in one weight division, I think that is silly,” Aspinall said. “This is not what UFC is about. This is not what MMA is about. There’s one guy in each weight division, and I believe it’s me.

“So I’ll be fighting the winner. I will be there if they need me. I’ll be fit and ready. I’m training right now. I’m ready to go. I’ll be ready to go on Nov. 16 if I need to. MSG is the place where I won the title, I’ll go back there and I’ll unify the title there as well if I need to.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 309 main event

Jon Jones is listed as a massive betting favorite over Stipe Miocic for their potential double retirement title fight at UFC 309 in New York.

The UFC will attempt to have [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] for the heavyweight title headline its annual Madison Square Garden event for the second year in a row at UFC 309 after Jones suffered an injury that forced him to pull out of the November 2023 date, and hasn’t competed since.

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic preview

Jones (27-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) vs. Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) could be the first double retirement title fight in UFC history, with UFC CEO Dana White recently stating he thinks Miocic will hang up the gloves regardless of result, and Jones claiming it will “more than likely” be the final fight of his career.

“Bones” has competed just once since February 2020, and that’s when the former longtime light heavyweight champion finally made his long-discussed jump up to heavyweight and submitted Ciryl Gane to win the vacant championship at UFC 285 in March 2023.

He will attempt to make a first defense of the heavyweight strap against former titleholder Miocic, who hasn’t fought since a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021.

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic odds

DraftKings released the opening odds for the title bout, in which Jones is a -410 betting favorite over Chandler, who is a +320 underdog.

How to watch Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC 309

  • When: November 16
  • Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC 306 gets new champs at Sphere, Chandler gives up on McGregor, Jones-Miocic, more

On this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses the results from UFC 306, the latest with Conor McGregor and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC 306 is in the books, and both headlining champions lost their titles. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] lost dominant unanimous decisions to [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag], respectively. Beyond that, several fighters had breakthrough performances, including [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag], who badly battered former two-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]. We’ll unpack the UFC’s debut at Sphere and all the technical magic that came with it.
  • The main event for the UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden in November was finally announced: a heavyweight title fight between [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] was made official by the promotion. Accompanying Jones-Miocic at UFC 309, a lightweight bout pitting [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] against [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] was also announced. We break down both matchups and discuss what’s at stake.
  • Finally, with Chandler fighting Oliveira, this leaves the question: What is going to happen with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]? McGregor and Chandler were linked to fight for more than a year, and yet that fight never came to fruition, despite a failed booking and the two participating on last year’s season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” McGregor reacted to the news and said that he’s been ready, but feels he’s been kept “out of the loop.” What is going on? We discuss.

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Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic title fight headlines UFC 309 in New York

The UFC 309 main event is official: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic is back on tap for a Madison Square Garden showdown in New York.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] finally have a date and location, though the details of the fight shouldn’t come as a surprise.

All signs pointed toward a November showdown between Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) at Madison Square Garden and on Saturday the promotion made it official. The heavyweight title fight will headline UFC 309 on Nov. 16 in New York.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the title fight to Complex on Friday. UFC broadcast partner ESPN also shared the news on Saturday.

Jones and Miocic have been aligned for well over a year, as the two were scheduled to compete at UFC 295 in November. The fight was canceled after Jones tore his pectoral muscle and required surgery. Miocic, with the UFC’s backing, elected to wait for the Jones matchup.

In place of the undisputed title fight, the UFC booked Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich for an interim title. Aspinall finished Spivac with strikes in the first round, then defended the title in July vs. Curtis Blaydes, who he finished with strikes in exactly one minute.

UFC CEO Dana White firmly stood by the concurrent title reigns, holding out for the Jones vs. Miocic booking despite inactivity from both fighters.

Jones has not competed since he won the vacant heavyweight title vs. Ciryl Gane in March 2023. The fight was his first since February 2020. As for Miocic, he hasn’t competed since he lost the title to Francis Ngannou in March 2021.

With the addition, the UFC 309 fight card includes:

  • Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
  • Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira
  • Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
  • Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva
  • Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
  • Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Mickey Gall

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Demetrious Johnson: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic ‘would still sell as many pay-per-views’ without UFC title

Regardless of the stakes, Demetrious Johnson sees Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic as a massive fight.

Regardless of the stakes, [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] sees [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] as a massive fight.

Many have criticized UFC heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) for opting to defend his title against Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) over interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.

Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has competed six times since Miocic last stepped into the cage, which was a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou in March 2021.

“Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic doesn’t even need to be for a belt,” Johnson said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “Like, that’s a legend fight, those two fighting. It would still sell as many pay-per-views. I’m sure Jon Jones is going to get the exact same f*cking pay whether he’s champion or not, but I can’t dictate Jon Jones’ career.

“I’m not going to dictate what he should or he can’t do. Me as a fan, I would love to see Jon Jones fight Tom Aspinall. But if he doesn’t and he goes, ‘I’m going to just fight Stipe, he’s a household name,’ go ahead, do your thing, Jon.”

Jones was scheduled to face Miocic at UFC 295 before Aspinall entered the title picture, but withdrew due to injury. Former two-time UFC champion Miocic is considered the consensus greatest heavyweight of all time, but Johnson worries how the inactivity will impact him.

“When I look at Stipe, he hasn’t fought in four years. The last time he fought, he got knocked out. How’s his body feeling? It’s hard being away from the fight game for four years. He’s doing amazing things. He’s a firefighter, but it’s going to be very, very hard.”

Jones’ first title defense vs. Miocic is targeted for UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

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Video: Tom Aspinall gets aggressive with Jon Jones. Genius move?

Tom Aspinall drastically changed his tone toward Jon Jones. Will it work in landing his much-desired fight? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] made headlines last week with his change in tone toward UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag].

The usually respectful UFC interim heavyweight champ took to social media to criticize Jones and his expected title defense against [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] in November. Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who had been somewhat reserved in expressing his interest in fighting Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC), turned things up a notch with creative skits and strong comments directed at the living legend.

How is Aspinall coming off with this new approach? Will it work in landing a much-desired championship fight against Jones?

MMA Junkie’s Matt Wells, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host “Gorgeous” George discuss Aspinall’s recent comments and the talk it’s generated in the MMA community.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/qNIbTNfY2Rk

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