UFC 309: JON JONES VS. STIPE MIOCIC PRESS CONFERENCE

 

STIPE MIOCIC SAYS HE'S RETIRING AFTER TKO LOSS AT UFC 309

Stipe Miocic has decided to call it a career.

Following his third-round stoppage loss to Jon Jones at UFC 309 on Saturday night, Miocic announced his retirement from the sport, ending a remarkable career orchestrated by the fighter out of Euclid, Ohio.

"I'm done," Miocic said. "I'm hanging them up."

Despite the loss, Miocic remains widely recognized as the greatest heavyweight champion in UFC history.

"He's one of the greatest heavyweights ever," UFC CEO Dana White said to ESPN's Mike Coppinger. "You can't deny Stipe. Stipe is [No. 1 or No. 2] all time."

Miocic made his UFC debut in 2011 after going 6-0 on the regional scene and won three consecutive fights before suffering a TKO loss to Stefan Struve in 2012. Miocic methodically made his way back up the rankings with wins over Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabio Maldonado before suffering his second career loss to former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

That second setback set the stage for a historic heavyweight run.

Following stoppage victories over Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski, Miocic was granted a title opportunity against then-champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in 2016. Werdum was on a remarkable run of his own, staying undefeated for nearly five years. But Miocic ended that with a first-round knockout to claim UFC gold.

Miocic reigned as champion for the next 784 days and made a trio of successful title defenses against Alistair Overeem, dos Santos and Francis Ngannou. To date, Miocic holds the UFC record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three.

He dropped the title to then-light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in 2018, and the two would engage in an epic trilogy. Miocic reclaimed the title by knockout a year later at UFC 241 and won the rubber match at UFC 252 in 2020, with a decision that sent Cormier into retirement.

Now it is Miocic's time to bid farewell to a legendary career.

After losing his title in a rematch against Ngannou in 2021, Miocic stayed out of action for more than three years before stepping back into the Octagon one last time Saturday against the man considered by most as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

This version of Miocic was far different from the one who dominated the heavyweight division. He was unsure of himself and a step slow against Jones. Miocic was taken down early in the first round and drilled with elbows for a majority of the round while being pinned to the canvas. The second round saw Miocic struggle to put together any offense as Jones slammed kicks to the body and staggered the former champion with a hard right hand.

Miocic sought to put together a winning combination in the third round and resorted to chasing Jones around the Octagon. But he was met with a spinning back kick to the liver that put him down and out.

Miocic departs with a handful of records in the UFC heavyweight division, including most combined title defenses (4), most finishes in title fights (4), most postfight bonuses (9) and a tie with Randy Couture for most wins in title fights (6).

Perhaps as noteworthy as his career as a mixed martial artist is his dedication to his community. Throughout his fighting tenure, Miocic has maintained a career as a firefighter and paramedic in Oakwood and Valley View, Ohio. The father of two will continue working as a full-time firefighter.

- Andreas Hale, ESPN

JON JONES TRIUMPHS IN RETURN, TKO'S STIPE MIOCIC AT UFC 309

Jon Jones celebrates after his total knockout victory against Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden, New York City, US, November 16, 2024 [Sarah Stier/Getty Images via AFP]
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NEW YORK -- Jon Jones looked exceptional as ever Saturday, knocking out Stipe Miocic with a spinning back kick in the third round of their heavyweight championship fight at UFC 309 inside Madison Square Garden.

And now, with that matter settled, the fight world will eagerly await its heavyweight title unification bout.

Jones (28-1) dominated Miocic (20-5) en route to the TKO victory at 4:29 of the round. The matchup was originally scheduled to take place in November 2023, but Jones pulled out with a torn pectoral muscle. Leading up to Saturday, much of the prefight talk was about whether Jones would face interim champion Tom Aspinall if he won.

After defeating Miocic, Jones made it clear he is open to the challenge.

"I've decided maybe I will not retire," Jones said, adding that he'll have conversations with UFC CEO Dana White and chief business officer Hunter Campbell. "We'll negotiate. If everything goes right, maybe we'll give you guys what you want to see."

Miocic, 42, who elected to wait an entire year for Jones' return, announced his retirement in the Octagon following the loss. The former two-time champion hadn't fought since 2021 before facing Jones on Saturday.

Even taking Miocic's layoff into account, Saturday was more about how good Jones looked rather than how rusty Miocic might have been. A near-consensus pick for greatest fighter of all time, Jones showcased all his tools in his first knockout win since December 2018. He took Miocic down in the opening round and tormented him with nasty elbows from top position. He hurt him with front kicks to the body in the second and third rounds and nearly dropped him with a jab.

The final shot was a spinning back kick to Miocic's midsection that sent him to his knees. It was a brutal climax to a one-sided fight. According to UFC Stats, Miocic landed 42 strikes -- none of which was particularly memorable -- to 104 by Jones. Jones' defense was superb all night, and he made Miocic pay with counterpunches and knees in the clinch.

"He's really, really good," Jones said of Miocic. "He's tough, durable. I hit him with some decent shots, and he kept coming forward. Everyone knows Stipe isn't the biggest heavyweight. He comes lean, in great shape. I watched him have wars with Daniel Cormier and a lot of guys, and they were rock 'em, sock 'em. He doesn't react much to getting hit in the face, so our plan was to get him in the body."

Aspinall (15-3) was in New York for UFC 309 and sat cageside for the main event. The 31-year-old English champion has been a wrecking ball in the heavyweight division in recent years, recording first-round finishes in seven of his nine UFC appearances. He won the UFC's interim title in November 2023 and made a rare defense of it against Curtis Blaydes in July.

Before Saturday, Jones had shown zero interest in facing Aspinall, even going as far as to call him a "nobody." Jones had said he'd rather vacate the heavyweight title than face Aspinall in the Octagon. Whether that was a negotiation tactic or Jones simply had a change of heart, it now appears a unification bout is very much on the table.

With the victory, Jones extended his UFC record to 16 title fight wins.

- Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer