There are at least three reasons why the UFC 309 headline fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic is terrible, no good, and very bad for mixed martial arts as a whole. The fight does a disservice to the sport, the UFC, the fighters, and the fans, even though it tops a big pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden in New York City, next month. Terence Crawford reveals the talks he had with Conor McGregor over a two-fight deal.
It Holds Up The Heavyweight Division Jon Jones is the Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez of mixed martial arts. In boxing, Canelo is one of the most popular fighters in the entire sport, and the de facto face of boxing since Floyd Mayweather retired. Canelo has all the major world championship belts at super middleweight.
However, he seemingly refuses to engage David Benavidez — easily his biggest challenge — in a fight. Jones is that guy in MMA. He refuses to fight his own biggest challenge, Tom Aspinall.
Instead, he's taking on Stipe Miocic — a once-great fighter, sure. But someone who has not competed since 2021 and has no wins over anyone ranked in the top-10. Jones himself last fought in March, 2023, when he defeated Ciryl Gane in lightning-quick fashion to win the UFC heavyweight championship.
Though it's 18 months later, Jones has failed to defend the title. This has led to a hold-up in the heavyweight division as Jones is essentially keeping the belt hostage. He's an inactive fighter, and he's shirking the responsibilities that come with being a grea.