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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic
Breaking Down The Action Set To Hit The Octagon At Madison Square Garden On Saturday
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X: @spencerkyte
It’s hard to believe, but Saturday’s UFC return to Madison Square Garden will mark the eighth time the Octagon has been set up inside the “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
From the thrilling debut in 2016 capped by Conor McGregor’s lightweight title win to Alex Pereira turning MSG into his personal stomping grounds each of the last three years, these annual trips to New York City have always been electric and this year’s visit shouldn’t be any different.
Headlined by an historic heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic and boasting a strong undercard from top to bottom, Saturday’s pay-per-view promises to be captivating from the outset.
Let’s get into what’s on tap.
UFC Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic
The current heavyweight champion faces off with the most accomplished heavyweight titleholder in UFC history to round out this weekend’s fight card as Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic finally share the Octagon together.
Arguably the greatest fighter in the history of the sport, Jones claimed the heavyweight title with a quick and relatively effortless first-round submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, adding his name to the rare list of athletes that have won UFC gold in two weight classes. He was slated to defend against Miocic last November, but suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the run up to the fight, resulting in this one-year postponement, which means he’s fought just once in the four years and nine months.
The only heavyweight champion to successfully defend the title three times, Miocic looks to add his name to the history books by becoming just the second man to claim the belt three times. The Ohio native has faced two opponents — Francis Ngannou and Daniel Cormier — a combined five times in his last five outings, returning to action here for the first time since dropping the title at UFC 260 in March 2021.
There are a ton of legacy implications on the line in this one, along with the heavyweight title, and the closer we get to Saturday night, the more intriguing this fight becomes for me. Jones ran through Gane, but was able to play right to his greatest strength, and it will be curious to see if he can do the same to Miocic. Conversely, the 42-year-old former champ is an excellent all-around talent with serious power, and presents — on paper, at least — as the most experienced and dangerous opponent Jones has faced in quite some time.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler
Three-plus years after facing off for the vacant UFC lightweight title, Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler run it back to see who will remain in the thick of the chase in the talent-rich 155-pound weight class.
Oliveira competes for the first time since his split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 back in April, looking to snap out of the “win one, lose one” pattern he’s been in over his last couple fights. “Do Bronxs” is just 1-2 over the last two years dating back to his title loss to Islam Makhachev, which makes you wonder if the 35-year-old is finally starting to slow down after starting young and competing as often as he did during his march to the top of the division.
Despite this being just his sixth UFC appearance, it will mark Chandler’s third trip to MSG, though he’s gone 0-2 in the venue thus far, losing entertaining scraps to Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier at UFC 268 and UFC 281, respectively. He hasn’t competed since that loss to Poirier two years ago after waiting for a fight with Conor McGregor to come together, but can get right back into the title conversation with a victory here.
The first time these two met was at UFC 262, where Chandler started well, showed poise and patience defending with Oliveira on his back, and had the Brazilian on the brink of being finished only to have the divisional stalwart survive and earn the finish — and the lightweight title — just 19 seconds into the second round.
Viviane Araujo vs Karine Silva
It’s an all-Brazilian affair in the flyweight division in the middle of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card as Viviane Araujo faces off with Karine Silva.
Araujo is a steady veteran presence in the 125-pound weight class; a fighter that has been ranked in the Top 15 since her second fight in the promotion, and someone that has shared the Octagon with a host of the top names in the division. Though she’s just 2-4 over her last six outings, the Cerrado MMA representative is a perennial tough out and stern test for anyone angling to push forward in the flyweight ranks.
Silva has quietly been one of the most successful members of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’21, amassing a 4-0 record with three finishes to begin her UFC tenure, climbing to No. 11 in the divisional ranks in the process. The 30-year-old Gile Ribeiro Team fighter earned a unanimous decision win over Ariane da Silva last time out, pushing her overall winning streak to nine while showing that she is capable of battling through 15 hard minutes inside the cage.
This is a classic “veteran versus prospect” pairing and one that is essential for Silva at this stage of her career. A win would likely elevate her into the Top 10 in the shifting flyweight division, while a victory for Araujo would further cement her standing as the difficult entrance exam hopefuls need to pass in order to earn their place amongst the division’s elite.
Bo Nickal vs Paul Craig
Bo Nickal makes his second appearance of the year, taking a significant step up in competition as he squares off with Paul Craig in this intriguing middleweight fixture.
The 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner and former Big 10 Athlete of the Year, Nickal is a perfect 3-0 inside the Octagon and 6-0 thus far in his brief MMA career. He’s finished Jamie Pickett, Val Woodburn, and Cody Brundage over his initial three trips into the UFC cage, and now gets the opportunity to show that he’s close to cracking the Top 15 if he can maintain his form and pick up the biggest win of his career this weekend.
Craig enters Saturday’s contest having dropped consecutive contests to Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho, a pair of Top 10 talents in the middleweight ranks. The Scottish veteran has a significant experience advantage over Nickal and does his best work on the ground, which theoretically makes him a perfect dance partner for the former Penn State wrestler.
All those questions that remain about Nickal? This contest will likely provide all the answers and generate some new queries to consider, as Craig has the grappling acumen to hang with the highly regarded prospect if and when this fight goes to the canvas. If Nickal gets through this one in the same manner he’s navigated his first three assignments, expect there to be plenty of people calling for him to get a date with a Top 10 opponent next time out.
Mauricio Ruffy vs James Llontop
First-year UFC welterweights open up the main card as Mauricio Ruffy and James Llontop clash in a battle of recent DWCS graduates.
A member of the surging Fighting Nerds team, Ruffy makes his highly anticipated second appearance in the Octagon after struggling to find an opponent following his impressive debut. The 28-year-old, who carries a 10-1 record into Saturday’s contest, debuted in style at UFC 301, finishing Australian veteran Jamie Mullarkey in the opening frame, showcasing diverse and explosive striking throughout.
Llontop got the call to the UFC after pushing his winning streak to a dozen with a unanimous decision win over Malik Lewis last fall at the UFC APEX, but thus far he’s struggled in two trips into the Octagon. After getting submitted by short-notice replacement Chris Padilla in his April debut, “Goku” landed on the wrong side of the cards in a clash with Viacheslav Borshchev in August, leaving him with his back against the wall heading into this one.
Preliminary Card Contests
Jonathan Martinez vs Marcus McGhee
Talented bantamweights Jonathan Martinez and Marcus McGhee meet in the final preliminary card bout at UFC 309 on Saturday.
Martinez enters looking to get things moving in the right direction again after having his six-fight winning streak snapped by the returning Jose Aldo at UFC 301 back in May. The 34-year-old McGhee has looked outstanding through his first three UFC appearances, posting a trio of stoppage wins to advance to 9-1 for his career, most recently earning a second-round standing TKO against Gaston Bolanos in January.
Chris Weidman vs Eryk Anders
Chris Weidman and Eryk Anders share the Octagon this weekend in a clash of middleweight veterans.
This will be the third MSG appearance for Long Island’s Weidman, who dropped each of his first two bouts in the building, but enters off a technical decision win over Bruno Silva earlier in the year; his first since suffering the horrific leg injury that threatened to end his career. Anders also touches down in “The Big Apple” off a win, having out-worked Jamie Pickett at the start of March to give him two wins in his last three outings.
Jim Miller vs Damon Jackson
Jim Miller breaks a streak of 10 straight appearances in Las Vegas this weekend as he squares off with fellow tenured talent Damon Jackson at Madison Square Garden.
The 41-year-old Miller, who holds the record for the most wins (26) and most appearances (44) in UFC history, looks to get back into the win column here after landing on the business end of things in his UFC 300 clash with Bobby Green earlier this year. Jackson ventures up to lightweight for the first time in a number of years, having gone 1-3 over his last four appearances, with each of his last two dance partners missing the featherweight limit.
Marcin Tybura vs Jhonata Diniz
Polish veteran Marcin Tybura and Brazilian prospect Jhonata Diniz meet in the first of Saturday’s two heavyweight contests.
A divisional mainstay for the last eight-plus years, Tybura won his 2024 debut against Tai Tuivasa in March, choking out the big Australian, before being submitted himself by Serghei Spivac in August. Diniz, who has gone 2-0 already this year to begin his UFC career, was all set to face Derrick Lewis two weeks back in Edmonton, but shuffled into the opening opposite Tybura after the Houston-based veteran was forced out of the contest the day before the bout with an undisclosed medical issue.
Mickey Gall vs Ramiz Brahimaj
Mickey Gall and Ramiz Brahimaj meet in a “New Jersey versus New York” pairing in the welterweight division that could provide some early sparks on Saturday night.
Gall makes his second MSG appearance looking to halt a three-fight slide, having last earned a victory in the summer of 2021 when he submitted Jordan Williams. A member of the Fortis MMA crew, Brahimaj dropped a decision to Themba Gorimbo last time out, falling to 2-3 in the UFC and 10-5 overall with the loss.
Bassil Hafez vs Oban Elliott
Welterweights Bassil Hafez and Oban Elliott clash in the early going of this weekend’s fight card, with each looking to build on recent successes.
Hafez earned plaudits for a hard-fought, short-notice loss to Jack Della Maddalena in his promotional debut, and then earned his first UFC victory last time out, out-dueling Gall at UFC 302 in June. A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Elliott has earned a pair of decision wins to begin his UFC run, besting Val Woodburn and Preston Parsons at UFC 298 and UFC 304, respectively.
Veronica Hardy vs Eduarda Moura
Saturday night’s action gets underway in the flyweight division, as Veronica Hardy takes on Eduarda Moura.
Hardy has looked good in three starts since ending a lengthy hiatus last year, posting consecutive victories over Juliana Miller, Jamey-Lyn Horth, and JJ Aldrich to move to 9-4-1 for her career. The 30-year-old Moura moves up in weight looking to rebound from her first career setback after landing on the wrong side of the scorecards in a bout with Denise Gomes back in June.
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