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Icon Jon “Bones” Jones from Rochester, New York, has finally returned to defend his heavyweight belt. He is the current reigning undisputed heavyweight champion and is arguably the most talented fighter to enter the Octagon. Fighting Jones for the heavyweight championship belt is Stipe Miocic, an American professional mixed martial artist and firefighter. He is the former two time heavyweight champion and is once again going for the heavyweight championship belt. On Saturday night, UFC 309 with two of the most legendary, talented fighters will take place and we will see who comes out on top.
Coming out of Ohio, Stipe Miocic has also been considered one of the greatest in the heavyweight division. Miocic’s legacy is rooted in his toughness and consistency with an incredible track record beating many of the UFC’s best fighters that include Daniel Cormier, Junior Dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou. Stipe Miocic has been quite the underdog throughout his career, but has proven his doubters wrong time and time again, becoming a fan favorite by many fans of the UFC. No matter the outcome on Saturday night, it is acknowledged by many the caliber at which Miocic is capable of fighting at and the ferocity that he continues to compete with
Many have favored Jon Jones to dominate Stipe Miocic and come out victorious. I believe this is a great take as Jon Jones is arguably the best pound for pound fighter and technical striker in the UFC. Jones’ record of 27-1-0 immensely outshines Stipe’s 20-4-0. Jones is a far more versatile and complete fighter compared to Stipe Miocic. Miocic’s accomplishments including his exceptional wrestling, boxing and success in the heavyweight division are undeniable, but Jones operates on a complete difference in adaptability and fighting IQ. He has an unparalleled ability to neutralize his opponents strength, adjusting his strategy mid-fight that is incomparable to any other fighter.
Fans around the world, including many students of Townsend Harris who are fans of the UFC and will be tuning in to see this fight, expressed their anticipation for a fight with Jon Jones and Tom Aspinal. Tom Aspinal is the current interim heavyweight champion who recently called out Jon Jones stating, “But I just think I’m better than ya! I just know that I can beat ya in a fight.” Jones, however, has faced recent backlash for “ducking” and making excuses to not fight Tom Aspinal. Regardless, Dana White, the UFC’s CEO said in a statement, “If Jon Jones wants to fight again after Saturday, he will fight Tom Aspinal.” Jon Jones has stated that he is debating on retiring and he is not certain if he will fight again. No matter the circumstance, fans are eager for the long awaited fight between the two champions. Whether or not it will become a reality is entirely up to Jones.
Will Jon Jones be able to defend the heavyweight championship belt? Or will the underdog, Stipe Miocic step up and be the new heavyweight champion of the world? Millions of fans are wondering the same thing and we’ll have to wait and see how it all goes down on Saturday night.
