Jon Jones knocks Stipe Miocic out to retain heavyweight title in UFC 309 headliner

And inactive - Jon Jones, successful spectacular fashion, retained his UFC heavyweight rubric and GOAT presumption with a TKO triumph implicit Stipe Miocic astatine UFC 309.

Miocic enactment connected a amended combat than astir expected successful the clash of titans astatine Madison Square Garden.

However, Jones landed a spinning backmost footwear to Miocic's rib cage astatine 4:29 successful the 3rd circular that spelled the opening of the extremity for the erstwhile champion.

The astir decorated UFC heavyweight folded from the assemblage changeable arsenic Jones pounced connected him adjacent the fence.

Referee Herb Dean past jumped successful to abstracted the two, declaring Jones the victor and defending champion.

Jones and Miocic were primitively scheduled to header past year's Madison Square Garden lawsuit astatine UFC 295 earlier Jones pulled retired with a enarthrosis injury.

It took 371 days for some men to yet person the bequest combat for heavyweight golden astatine the world's astir celebrated arena.

After Francis Ngannou rode retired his declaration with the UFC, Jones made his heavyweight debut and airy enactment of Ciryl Gane, submitting the Frenchman successful the archetypal circular to triumph the vacant title.

Miocic, 42, had not acceptable ft successful the cage since getting knocked retired by Ngannou successful March 2021. The Cleveland autochthonal holds the grounds for astir rubric defenses among large men successful the UFC with four.

Meanwhile, the lone blemishes connected Jones' resume earlier Saturday came from a disqualification and a no-contest.

The triumph moved Jones to 28-1 arsenic helium declared against status rumors. Without naming his adjacent opponent, Jones said helium would talk to Dana White and Hunter Campbell astir his future. 

However, White revealed earlier this week that the victor of Saturday's main lawsuit 'should absolutely' combat interim champion Tom Aspinall - who Jones has repeatedly dismissed arsenic a contender. 

On the different hand, Miocic announced his status from MMA successful the Octagon. He leaves the athletics with a 20-5 record, including six rubric combat wins and 14 knockouts.