Jones triumphs in return, TKO's Miocic at UFC 309

NEW YORK — Jon Jones looked exceptional as ever on 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 a TKO victory at 4:29 of the third round. The matchup was supposed to take place in November 2023, but Jones pulled out with a torn pectoral muscle.

Leading up to Saturday, much of the pre-fight 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’s return, announced his retirement in the Octagon. The former two-time champion hadn’t fought since 2021 before facing Jones on Saturday.