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UFC fans have poked fun at Dana White's obsession with Jon Jones, but the greatest UFC fighter of all time will have a chance to prove why the UFC's CEO and president is so high on the fighter nicknamed Bones. Jones, who has a resume better than any mixed martial artist ever, is fighting in a legacy bout at UFC 309 against heavyweight legend Stipe Miocic.
The fight comes after a long time off for both fighters, but it is sure to be a classic, as we've never seen Jones or Miocic look subpar in the octagon. The two legends aren't the only incredible fighters on this fight card though.
So in this article, we are going to explain everything that you need to know about UFC 309.
When and where is UFC 309?
UFC 309 is taking place at arguably the biggest athletics venue in the world: Madison Square Garden, in New York City, New York. Fight night is Saturday, Nov. 16.
The early prelims kick off the action at 6 p.m. ET, and the prelims are at 8 p.m. ET. The main card will then start at 10 p.m. ET. This will only be the eighth UFC event at Madison Square Garden ever, and UFC 309's predecessors at the venue have been classic fight cards with legendary bouts.
How to watch UFC 309
The early prelims for UFC 309 will be available on UFC Fight Pass, and the prelims will be viewable on ESPNEWS and ESPN+. Then, in order to watch the main card, you will have to purchase a pay-per-view from ESPN+.
Because this UFC event is in the United States, Joe Rogan will be available to provide color commentary, as will Daniel Cormier. They will join Jon Anik at the commentary table, as he will provide play-by-play.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 16 | Time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Madison Square Garden — New York City, New York
How to watch: ESPN+ Pay-per-view purchase (main card)
Odds: Jones -700
UFC 309 fight card
Main card:
Heavyweight: Jon Jones (C) vs. Stipe Miocic, championship bout
Lightweight: Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
Middleweight: Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig
Women's flyweight: Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva
Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy vs. James Llontop
Prelims:
Bantamweight: Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
Middleweight: Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson
Featherweight: David Onama vs. Lucas Almeida
Early prelims:
Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura vs. Jhonata Diniz
Welterweight: Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj
Welterweight: Bassil Hafez vs. Oban Elliot
Women's flyweight: Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura
Main event
Jon Jones is past the point of caring what people think about him. Now, he is trying to add to his legacy. That legacy already includes becoming the youngest UFC champion ever and winning the most title fights ever (15). Next on that list for Jones is defeating the greatest heavyweight ever.
Jones is clearly the best light heavyweight fighter of all time, but he only has one fight to his name since moving up heavyweight. Jones' move to the 265-pound division included a three-year hiatus, but he dominated in his inaugural bout at the weight class against Ciryl Gane when he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
That fight came way back at UFC 285, and although Jones' bout against Miocic was supposed to happen at UFC 295, he tore his pectoral tendon and was forced to miss over a year. His long-anticipated first title defense at heavyweight is finally here, though. Jones' resume speaks for itself. He is an elite striker, wrestler, and submission artist.
Miocic has had an amazing career too, though.
He was involved in eight title fights, six of which he won. Miocic is one of the best boxers ever in the UFC, and his list of wins includes triumphs over legends such as Daniel Cormier and Francis Ngannou.
However, Miocic was retired before being offered this chance at the belt yet again, which means he hasn't fought since March of 2021 at UFC 260. That means Miocic is getting a title shot after a longer hiatus than anyone in UFC history, and Jones is defending his belt after more time off than anyone in the promotion's history.
These two fighters have done enough to warrant that, though. Jones and Miocic have done so much for MMA, and they are still more than capable of delivering with an iconic fight. In fact, the last time we saw Jones, he submitted a champion in the first round.
He still seemingly has lots left in the tank, so fans are hopeful that he will eventually fight guys like Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, and perhaps even Francis Ngannou (although that seems unlikely). He, of course, first needs to beat Miocic, and that is far from a sure thing, even factoring in Miocic's time off.
Still, we've never seen Jones lose inside of the octagon. He is 27-1 in MMA, with that only loss coming because of a disqualification in a fight he was dominating. Ironically, Jones' disqualification in 2009 came because he used 12-6 elbows, but the move will be legalized for the first time in a UFC PPV event since 2006 at UFC 309.
Main card
The main event between Jones and Miocic isn't the only fight at UFC 309 that will feature a long-awaited return. Michael Chandler sat out for over two years in his own right with the expectations that a Conor McGregor fight would happen. That fight didn't come to fruition, which forced Chandler to look in another direction.
That direction led him to a rematch with Charles Oliveira. Chandler, who is one of the best Bellator fighters ever, lost for the first time in the UFC in a title fight against Oliveira. Now, the two are running it back, with the winner announcing themselves as a potential title contender, and the loser headed the wrong way in the UFC rankings.
Chandler has lost three of his last four fights, but he is still an entertaining performer who goes balls to the wall and fights with reckless abandon. Oliveira has lost two of his last three fights in his own right, but he is still a former champion and arguably the best submission expert in UFC history. He leads the promotion with 20 finishes and 16 submission wins. His 19 fight night bonuses are also the most ever in the UFC.
While there is plenty of aging veteran talent on the UFC 309 card, one of the best up-and-comers is also fighting. Bo Nickal is only 6-0 in his MMA career, but because of his experience as one of the best collegiate wrestlers ever, many view him as a potential future champion in the middleweight division.
Nickal has his toughest challenge ahead of him against Paul Craig. Craig is only 17-8 with losses in four of his last fights, but he also has wins over big names such as Jamahal Hill and Magomed Ankalaev.
The only fight in the female division on the main card is between Viviane Araujo and Karine Silva. Silva is a rising star in the women's flyweight division, but Araujo is always a good test for prospects to gauge where they are really at.
The first fight of the main card is between Mauricio Ruffy and James Llontop. Both fighters competed in the Dana White Contender Series in 2023 before debuting with the UFC this year. Ruffy won his UFC 301 fight, while Llontop has lost both of his 2024 bouts. Llontop was on a 12-fight win streak prior to joining the UFC, so he will quickly need to prove that he wasn't just a product of fighting in the lower levels of MMA.
Prelims
There are some notable names fighting in the prelims/early prelims of UFC 309 as well. Marcin Tybura, for example, is ranked number nine at heavyweight, but he is fighting in the early prelims. Tybura's popularity skyrocketed when he knocked out Tai Tuivasa. This go around, Tybura is fighting Jhonata Diaz.
Jim Miller will be fighting as well. Miller is the all-time UFC leader in fights (44) and wins (26), as he has stayed active since UFC 89. Miller's opponent is Damon Jackson. Another legend at UFC 309 is Chris Weidman. Weidman was a champion as far back as 2013-2015. This will be Weidman's third time fighting at Madison Square Garden, and this time, he will take on Eryk Anders.
