In the main event of UFC 309, Jon Jones forced Stipe Miocic into retirement with a stunning back kick to the ribs, and in the third round, a flurry of blows to the head replaced the UFC heavyweight title with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. maintained in front of. Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Mr. Jones spoke in front of President Trump, Mr. Elon Musk, who was selected by President Trump to head the new Department of Government Efficiency, and Mr. Robert Kennedy Jr., who was chosen by President Trump in the presidential election to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. They posed at the top of the octagon and performed to the crowd. The next government.
Just before the pay-per-view card began, President Trump appeared in front of 20,200 fans to a roaring ovation, soaking in the thrill of the fighters who gave him props all night, including Jones. It seemed like it was.
“I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” Jones said, to loud cheers of “America!” united states of america! “chant.
“I’m proud to be a great American champion,” Jones said.
Jones (28-1-0, No. 1 North Carolina), widely considered the best fighter in the world, was aggressive from the start, landing a series of shots to Miocic’s head in the first round. Jones showed there’s still plenty of fight left in the tank.
British heavyweight Tom Aspinall has emerged as Jones’ next challenger. Aspinall won a fight for the interim heavyweight title at the Garden last November. UFC CEO Dana White had promised that Aspinall, who spoke with Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, would challenge the winner of the main event in a unification bout.
“As for my future in the Octagon, I’ve decided that I’m probably not going to retire,” Jones said. “We know we have options.
Miocic (20-5) failed to win his third heavyweight title and soon announced his retirement.
“It’s over,” Miocic said. “I’m hanging them.”
His last fight was before the next president.
White captioned a photo he posted on social media of himself with Trump, Kid Rock and Musk: “The Boys.” President Trump raised his fist while occasional cries of “USA!” united states of america! “Chant.” He sat in a front row seat, flanked by Mr. White on his right and Mr. Musk on his left, giving a polite round of applause to the victor of the fight.
UFC fans wore red Trump hats during breaks in the fight, and some waved flags with Trump’s image on them.
In a lightweight bout that thrilled everyone from Kid Rock to Jordan Knight to Anthony Kiedis, Charles Oliveira defeated Michael Chandler by unanimous decision in a five-round finish. The bout was a rematch of a May 2021 fight in which Charles Oliveira defeated Chandler to win the lightweight title. Oliveira stakes his right to fight for the title again with victory
The fifth round was about as good as it got inside the Octagon, highlighted by Chandler dropping Oliveira on his back twice. Chandler, 38, stepped into the cage for the first time in two years largely because he was waiting for a fight against Conor McGregor that never happened.
“We were wondering where you were, Connor,” Chandler yelled from inside the cage. “If you can, come back and beat me.”
McGregor was accused by a woman of sexually assaulting him in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
Chandler shook Trump’s hand after the match in a card that had more to do with politics than punching.
Trump has a close relationship with White, dating back to the UFC’s formative days before it grew into a billion-dollar promotion. New Jersey was one of the first states to embrace the UFC, and White has long credited the fights at the Trump Taj Mahal with helping the UFC become a powerhouse in the sport. White spoke at Trump’s request at the Republican National Convention and took the stage at his campaign party.
UFC fighters spoke excitedly in New York this week about getting the chance to fight in front of President Trump.
“Seeing Dana take the stage during the election, I feel like that moment elevated the entire sport,” Jones said. “Americans and people around the world were like, Who is this bald guy talking about? It represents all of us.”
Bo Nickal defeated Paul Craig by unanimous decision in a welterweight bout, then crouched down to address Trump. Nikkal later said he wanted to play golf with Trump.
Trump opened his arms when he spotted UFC anchor Joe Rogan. Mr. Trump and Mr. Rogan hugged and exchanged words before the main card opener.
Trump did a three-hour interview on Rogan’s podcast ahead of the election. On his podcast, Rogan helped promote some of Trump’s false claims about voting, election fraud and his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
Mr. Logan supported President Trump.
Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), were also in attendance.
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