Tag: UFC 309

UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Chris Curtis Added To First 2025 Lineup

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards. With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. Between Monday, September 30, and […]

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MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

Between Monday, September 30, and Sunday, October 6, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:

A number of lower-profile matchups also came together. For those, check out this week’s quick hits:

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Chris Curtis Added To First 2025 Lineup at MMA News.

Former Opponent On Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic: ‘Not Bigger, Not Stronger, Striking Not Better!’

One of Jon Jones’ former opponents recently articulated his thoughts on the reigning UFC heavyweight champion’s upcoming matchup against Stipe Miocic. Jones is set to put his undisputed title on the line against former long-time champion Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, scheduled for November 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York […]

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One of Jon Jones’ former opponents recently articulated his thoughts on the reigning UFC heavyweight champion’s upcoming matchup against Stipe Miocic.

Jones is set to put his undisputed title on the line against former long-time champion Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, scheduled for November 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This matchup has ignited a whirlwind of debate, with UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall repeatedly calling for a title unification bout. Despite these appeals, ‘Bones’ has remained firmly committed to facing Miocic. Jones’ adamant stance has provoked discontent among many fans, who argue that he is stalling the division and deliberately avoiding a showdown with Aspinall.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has frequently expressed that facing Miocic is his dream fight and the primary reason for his move up to the heavyweight division. Jones has also alluded to the idea that defeating a legend like Miocic would be the final crowning achievement in his already stellar career, suggesting that after adding such a victory to his record, he may hang up his gloves.

However, Vitor Belfort believes that a fight against Miocic brings a lot of risk.

Belfort Thinks Miocic Has The Upper Hand Against Jones At UFC 309

During a recent interview with Inside Fighting, ‘The Phenom,’ who lost to Jones at UFC 152 in September 2012, shared his insights on the headlining bout of UFC 309. Belfort asserted that this matchup poses more risks than rewards for “Bones”, arguing that Jones would be tested to his limit against the 42-year-old veteran.

“If I can give any advice to Jon Jones, it’s to not fight him [Aspinall] because there is nothing to gain from that fight for Jon Jones,” Belfort said. “Jon Jones is going to have the greatest career. Let’s say he beats Miocic, which I think is going to be very hard. I love Jon Jones, and I think he has an amazing career, but you know, a lot of people think he’s bigger than Stipe Miocic. No, he’s not bigger, he’s not stronger, and his striking is not better than Stipe Miocic. Stipe Miocic is a great boxer; he can wrestle and he can grapple.”

Belfort also suggested that Jones is doing the right thing in not fighting Aspinall, as he poses a significant threat to the champion.

“Aspinall is a different beast. He’s so young; I mean, he’s the new generation—very dangerous, very explosive, very athletic. I don’t think unless Jon Jones is going to make millions of dollars. But I mean, if I’m Jon Jones, I would ask, ‘Why are you fighting him? If you win, cut it out, go retire, and be the best guy of all time.’ I’m thinking he would be the Tom Brady of MMA.”

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Jon Jones’ Coach On Not Fighting Tom Aspinall Next: ‘Stipe Miocic Deserves Better…’

Jon Jones’ coach, Greg Jackson, recently explained why his star pupil is slated to face Stipe Miocic next rather than Tom Aspinall. “Bones” is preparing for what could be both the first and final defense of his undisputed heavyweight title as he faces former champion Miocic in the headlining bout of UFC 309. The highly […]

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Jon Jones’ coach, Greg Jackson, recently explained why his star pupil is slated to face Stipe Miocic next rather than Tom Aspinall.

“Bones” is preparing for what could be both the first and final defense of his undisputed heavyweight title as he faces former champion Miocic in the headlining bout of UFC 309. The highly anticipated showdown is set for November 16 at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This matchup has been a priority for Jones since his heavyweight debut in March 2023. He’s even considered retiring after potentially defeating Miocic, widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight champion.

The Jones vs. Miocic matchup has faced considerable backlash from the MMA community, with many arguing that interim heavyweight champion Aspinall, who is also the backup fighter, is the rightful challenger.

Some have even suggested that Jones should remain available after UFC 309 for a title unification bout. However, “Bones” has consistently dismissed the prospect, making it clear he has no interest in facing Aspinall.

Jackson Defends Jones vs. Miocic Matchup: ‘It’s Really Two Legends Fighting Each Other’

During a recent episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, Jackson was prompted to shed light on Jones’ fervor to face Miocic next, rather than focusing on rising contenders like Aspinall or Curtis Blaydes.

The Jackson’s MMA Acoma founder elaborated that this fight represents a legacy moment for “Bones.” He emphasized that while there will always be emerging challengers, the upcoming bout at UFC 309 is a legendary clash aimed at determining who truly stands out among the elite.

“I think because Stipe is so legendary—I mean, the guy’s one of the best heavyweights,” Jackson said. “You could argue he’s one of the best heavyweights ever—so I think that’s the challenge that Jon needs because there’s always going to be young guys coming up, there’s always going to be a new phenom, and there’s always going to be another guy that’s like, ‘Oh, this guy’s super tough.’ So I think the attraction for Jon in that is it’s really two legends fighting each other.”

Jackson further emphasized that Jones has accomplished so much in his career that he no longer feels the need to validate himself against any competitor; he can choose whoever he wants to fight.

“At this point in Jon’s career, he doesn’t need to fight; he could stop today and be fine. But I think that gets him up for Stipe—the idea of Stipe and how great he is, and how tough he is, and to compete against that. I think he’s looking for a legacy thing, in my opinion… I do know that we had this fight locked up before any of that drama happened, so to me, it would be a terrible move to tell Stipe, ‘Oh, never mind, we’re not gonna fight you after all; we’re gonna go after this guy.’ I mean, Stipe deserves better than that. He’s not only a great fighter but also a great guy.””

Jones was last active when he captured the heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. He was scheduled to fight Miocic at UFC 295 last November, but “Bones” was forced to withdraw just days before the bout due to a pectoral injury.

Continue Reading Jon Jones’ Coach On Not Fighting Tom Aspinall Next: ‘Stipe Miocic Deserves Better…’ at MMA News.

Charles Oliveira Open To Conor McGregor Fight Should He Beat Michael Chandler On One Condition

The fate of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is more uncertain than ever, but Charles Oliveira says he’s open to fighting McGregor as long as a certain stipulation is met. After even more time has passed without a set date for McGregor vs. Chandler, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed just prior to Noche UFC (UFC […]

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The fate of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler is more uncertain than ever, but Charles Oliveira says he’s open to fighting McGregor as long as a certain stipulation is met.

After even more time has passed without a set date for McGregor vs. Chandler, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed just prior to Noche UFC (UFC 3060 last weekend that Chandler has opted to take a fight with Oliveira.

The clash between “Do Bronx” and “Iron” will serve as a five-round co-main event for UFC 309, which takes place on Nov. 16 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It will be a rematch from their lightweight title bout at UFC 262 and Chandler’s first fight since losing to Dustin Poirier at the same venue two years earlier.

There has been some supposed reassurance that Chandler’s planned fight with McGregor, which has been long awaited since the two were announced as the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter season 31 in early 2023, can still happen following the Oliveira bout. But given the Brazilian’s status as as former lightweight champion who is still high up in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, it brings about questions as to how Oliveira vs. Chandler 2’s outcome could impact plans for both the UFC lightweight title and McGregor.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira said he does not blame Chandler for waiting as long as he did. However, he himself would not have had the same patience.

That said, Oliveira was also asked about choosing between another crack at the lightweight gold and McGregor.

Charles Oliveira Says He’d Fight Conor McGregor As Long As He’d Get Title Shot In Next Fight: ‘Why Not?’

Ultimately, Oliveira said if he was forced to pick between the two, he would lean toward the title fight. But, the ex-titleholder said he would be down to fight McGregor if it guaranteed him a title fight in the next outing.

“Am I next in line if I beat McGregor? If that’s the plan, then I’m 100 percent in. But if you say, ‘No, you have to choose one of the two,’ I’m definitely going for the title,” Oliveira said. “If I have the opportunity to fight Conor and we make a lot of money, because he sells a lot and so do I — and we would definitely brow the roofs off with this pay-per-view —, not to mention the money off the purse, and I’m still next for the belt, I would definitely do it. Why not?

“(My managers Diego Lima and Jorge Patino) know what my plan is. I want the fights that take me to the belt. I’ve been posting a lot these days, ‘Waiting for the boss to call,’ and the UFC definitely sees that. Diego and ‘Macaco’ came with the Chandler fight, and I’m definitely much closer to the title with a win over Chandler. I’ll just stay focused now. Chandler is super tough and deserves all the respect. He knows how much I respect and care for him, so it’s definitely going to be a great fight.”

Oliveira will be looking to rebound from a split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan in a title eliminator at UFC 300. “Do Bronx” defeated Chandler for the then-vacant lightweight title at UFC 262 and defended the title against Poirier at UFC 269. He controversially lost the title on the scale before UFC 274 and then lost a vacant title fight with current champ Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.

The UFC lightweight title is next expected to be defended in early 2025 in a fight between Makhachev and Tsarukyan.

Chandler is 2-3 in the UFC, with victories over Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson in addition to his losses opposite Poirier, Oliveira, and Gaethje.

McGregor, meanwhile, has not fought since breaking his leg in a trilogy bout with Poirier at UFC 264.

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Daniel Cormier Certain Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic Will Avoid Facing Backup Fighter Tom Apsinall at UFC 309

Daniel Cormier Certain Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic Will Avoid Facing Backup Fighter Tom Apsinall at UFC 309Tom Aspinall may officially be the backup for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, but Daniel Cormier can’t see either…

Daniel Cormier Certain Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic Will Avoid Facing Backup Fighter Tom Apsinall at UFC 309

Tom Aspinall may officially be the backup for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, but Daniel Cormier can’t see either one of them actually fighting the interim UFC heavyweight champion in NYC.

18 months removed from his title-winning performance against Ciryl Gane to claim the undisputed heavyweight crown, ‘Bones’ is scheduled to defend his belt against the greatest fighter the division has ever seen on Saturday, November 16 inside Madison Square Garden.

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Jones vs. Miocic was originally scheduled to go down last November, but a pectoral injury forced Jones out of the bout. That paved the way for Tom Aspinall to step in and take home the interim heavyweight title via a stunning first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295.

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Since then, Aspinall has been angling hard for a fight with Jones. Instead, he’ll have to settle for a backup role at UFC 309, but even if one of the two headliners is unable to make the walk come fight night, Cormier isn’t convinced that either one of them would actually agree to fight Aspinall on short notice.

“Guess what Chael [Sonnen]? Now you have the opportunity to be let down,” Cormier said on a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy with co-host Chael Sonnen. “Step into my shoes for once… If one of those dudes [Jones or Miocic] gets hurt, neither one of them is fighting Tom Aspinall. You’re out of your mind. No way! When Jon Jones got hurt the first time [at UFC 295] Sergei Pavlovich was the backup fighter who fought. If somebody gets hurt, get ready for Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane. Mark my words, there you go” (h/t Sportskeeda).

Cormier thinks it’s a matter of ‘risk vs. reward’ for Jon jones and stipe miocic

Cormier doesn’t necessarily think it would be a matter of Jones or Miocic being scared of Tom Aspinall. Instead, he thinks it comes down to a case of “risk vs. reward” for the two combat sports icons who are in the twilight of their respective careers.

“It’s not even about being scared. It’s not even, it’s about risk management Chael,” Cormier continued. “Whoever, if someone gets hurt in this fight, the reward versus the risk of fighting Tom Aspinall is so great, I don’t believe that either of them will do it. Love that it’s a part of the story now. We all love the story, we love a great story but I don’t know that plays.

“I don’t think he’s scared Chael. But again, it’s risk vs. reward. Jon Jones, I will tell you this right now, Jon Jones. To his credit, a win over Tom Aspinall does nothing more for Jon Jones than a win over me or Vitor Belfort or Rashad Evans or Shogun Rua or Alexander Gustaffson and all these list of great fighters that he’s already beat.” Cormier added, “But losing to Tom Aspinall, losing to Tom Aspinall does do something because now you see him lose. He’s never lost. That matters to him now.”

Daniel Cormier: Jon Jones & Stipe Miocic Haven’t Agreed To Tom Aspinall Back-Up Role

Following the official announcement for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, Tom Aspinall was confirmed to be the back-up. Many have been campaiging for the interim champion to get the next shot at Jones’s heavyweight title, rather than the rescheduled clash with Miocic. Dana White said himself in a […]

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Following the official announcement for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309, Tom Aspinall was confirmed to be the back-up.

Many have been campaiging for the interim champion to get the next shot at Jones’s heavyweight title, rather than the rescheduled clash with Miocic.

Dana White said himself in a recent press conference that Aspinall is next for whatever happens in this division and will therefore, be in New York ready to make weight if required.

However, this then opens up the question of whether Jones or Miocic would even contemplate fighting Aspinall on short notice, if either man does pull out before November 16.

Daniel Cormier Calls Chael Sonnen ‘Gullible’ For Thinking That Jones & Miocic Agreed To Fight Aspinall

In a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy / Bad Guy, Chael Sonnen asked Daniel Cormier whether he could confirm that Aspinall being the back-up means that Jones and Miocic had to sign off on it.

Cormier’s response was to laugh at Sonnen for even suggesting that this would be a possibility, labelling him as “gullible”.

“No, it does not mean that. What it means is now we have another opportunity for disappointment. See that’s the difference between living, hey, that’s the difference between growing up in a mansion and growing up in the ghetto. In the ghetto, you learn to expect disappointment. You learn to be let down, that is just the way it is. So guess what Chael, now you have an opportunity to be let down so step into my shoes once. If one of those dudes get hurt, neither one of them is fighting Tom Aspinall. You’re out of your mind, no way.”

To illustrate his point, Cormier pointed to UFC 295 last year where Jones did pull out of the fight but there was a back-up fighter on hand.

Despite Sergei Pavlovich being ready to take his place, Miocic chose to wait for “Bones”, instead which led to the creation of the interim title which was won by Aspinall.

Cormier finished his statement by making a bold prediction of what will actually happen if either man withdraws.

“When Jon Jones got hurt the first time, Sergei Pavlovich was the back-up fighter, who fought? Who fought? If somebody gets hurt, get ready for Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane, mark my words.”

Read also: Former Champ Skeptical Of Michael Chandler Beating ‘Meaningful Favorite’ Charles Oliveira At UFC 309

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