5 takeaways from UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
UFC 309 went down in Madison Square Garden last night. The New York fans weren't treated to many finishes, but the event was definitely noteworthy.
UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic saw a number of excellent performances, but also ones that asked more questions than they answered.
Still, the event definitely created a number of talking points that will likely be discussed for some time.
Here are five takeaways from UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic.
#5. Jim Miller may well reach his goal of 50 UFC fights
While two of last night's performance bonus winners came from the preliminary card, somehow Jim Miller wasn't among them.
Based on his showing, though, it's unlikely that 'A-10' will care. He's won more bonuses than most fighters combined over the years, and his win over Damon Jackson guarantees the one thing he wants more than anything - more bouts in the octagon.
Miller didn't need long at all to dispatch Jackson. After some back-and-forth striking, 'The Leech' shot in for an ill-advised takedown, left his neck open, and Miller clamped on a guillotine choke for the tapout.
Miller - who has been with the UFC since 2008 - has long stated that his aim is to reach the 50-fight mark in the octagon before retiring.
Right now, he's just five fights from that mark, and given the form he showed last night, there's no reason why he can't reach it, assuming he's given the right opponents.
#4. Mauricio Ruffy needs a step up in competition next time out
Mauricio Ruffy came into UFC 309 as one of the event's biggest betting favorites, and he showed exactly why. The Brazilian mercilessly beat down James Llontop en route to a three-round decision win.
Realistically, the only thing missing from Ruffy's performance was a big finish. Llontop tried his best but looked every part a late replacement out of his depth. He was particularly fortunate to survive a second-round knockdown in particular.
The big takeaway here, though, was that Ruffy is probably ready for a big step up in competition.
Initially, the Brazilian was pegged to face Charlie Campbell, but the truth is that, riding a six-fight win streak, he's probably beyond that kind of level right now.
Instead, the UFC's matchmakers should probably push Ruffy a little harder, and if they don't put him against a ranked foe next, he should be against someone close to it.
Judging by this performance, he's clearly a future contender.
#3. Bo Nickal is not as ready for a run at the top as anyone thought
Bo Nickal came into UFC 309 as the event's biggest betting favorite, and indeed, the blue-chip prospect came away with his hand raised.
However, it's probably not unfair to say that Nickal didn't perform quite as well as some observers might've hoped. In fact, it might be time to slow down his hype train, at least temporarily.
The three-time NCAA Division I champion didn't really have too many problems with opponent Paul Craig. He basically outstruck him for three rounds and clearly earned his decision win.
Despite this, he never came close to finishing the Scotsman, ate a number of heavy shots in return, and had he been up against a more athletic foe, could've found himself in trouble.
When the fans appeared to chant "overrated" at Nickal in the third round, it seemed harsh, but not exactly unfair either.
Essentially, the fight was proof that Nickal isn't quite ready for prime time yet, and he's definitely not ready to face a ranked foe next. He'll likely get there at some stage, but he might have to wait a couple of years - and a few more fights - first.
#2. Despite his loss to Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler may still get his fight with Conor McGregor next
Given the high standards set with their first fight - which was an instant classic - Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler always felt like the kind of clash that could steal the show last night.
Indeed, it came as no surprise when UFC 309's 'Fight of the Night' bonus went to the two lightweight standouts after five rounds of sheer action.
The result, of course, went the way of 'Do Bronx' again. If anything, he dominated Chandler in a far more comfortable fashion this time around, basically whitewashing the former Bellator champ in the first four rounds.
The fifth, though, saw 'Iron Mike' come roaring back. He came close to finishing Oliveira, albeit with a salvo of punches to the back of the head that could've been considered illegal.
In the end, then, while Chandler lost to Oliveira and won't get a lightweight title shot in the future, this fight probably did a lot to advance his cause elsewhere. Namely, it probably moved him closer to the Conor McGregor fight he craves.
While Dana White has claimed McGregor won't be back until late 2025, it's likely that 'The Notorious' would've been excited by last night's fight. Not only was Chandler exciting, but he also looked beatable, to an extent at least.
Therefore, even in losing, 'Iron Mike' may have won last night.
#1. There can be no ifs and buts - Jon Jones must face Tom Aspinall next
UFC 309's headliner always felt like an exhibition fight of sorts for Jon Jones, and that's exactly how it went down.
Stipe Miocic is widely recognized as the most accomplished heavyweight in UFC history, but before last night, he hadn't fought in well over three years. He also turned 42 years old in August.
Realistically, there's no way he should've been fighting in a heavyweight title bout last night.
Indeed, 'Bones' made him look every inch past his best. He bullied him to the ground in the first round and beat him up there, and then picked at him standing for the next two rounds. Eventually, a spinning back kick to the body did for the former champ, who announced his retirement in the aftermath of the fight.
With the so-called 'legacy fight' now done, of course, all of the talk is around Jones' future.
And with that in mind, the big takeaway - assuming he doesn't choose to retire - is that 'Bones' must fight interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall next.
For all of his talk of legacy, right now it feels like Jones is attempting to take a leaf out of the book of Floyd Mayweather more than anyone else. 'Money' was a great fighter, but it's quite well-established that he built a lot of his legacy on fighting opponents at the right time for him and nobody else.
To be quite frank, that doesn't fly in MMA. Anderson Silva's UFC career essentially ended in disgrace, with a number of losses, but that hasn't knocked his overall standing.
If Jones were to lose to Aspinall - which he might, based on his showing last night - it wouldn't damage his legacy at all. Dodging the fight entirely, though, especially if he tries to fight Alex Pereira instead, absolutely would.
At the end of the day, Dana White can't force Jones to fight Aspinall, but he needs to do his best to ensure it happens, and if it doesn't, ensure that 'Bones' doesn't enter the octagon again.