There was no way Jon Jones could fly any higher — a scary prospect for anyone who might rise to challenge him in the not-so-distant future.
‘Bones’ finished off Stipe Miocic with a brutal spinning back kick and follow-up punches to the body in overwhelming, dominant fashion in the third round of the UFC 309 headliner at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. He held the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title. . Miocic (20-5, 14-5 UFC) met his end 4 minutes and 29 seconds into the third round, and then announced his retirement.
With President-elect Donald Trump seated cageside, Jones (28-1, 22-1 UFC) delivered a back-leg front kick to the body, a sharp jab and a thumping power punch to the Strong Style Fight Team. The main point was tormented. He defeated Miocic with breathtaking ease in the first round, unsheathing his ground-and-pound to devastating effect. Jones activated cruise control from that point on. He fought Miocic off with a right cross in the third round, toying with him a little longer before delivering a finishing kick to the ribs. A flurry of quick punches wiped out what was left.
Jones has since indicated that he intends to continue his career, leaving the door open to a possible showdown with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall or current light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira.
Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira improves to 2-0 with a unanimous decision in a five-round lightweight co-main event in a head-to-head series against three-time Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler. Ta. The scores were 49-46, 49-46, 49-45, all in favor of Oliveira (35-10, 23-10 UFC), who stopped the Missouri native with punches in their first fight three years ago.
The rematch was horribly one-sided for the better part of 20 minutes. Oliveira used punches, leg kicks and knees in the standing exchange, but made significant advances with multiple takedowns. He went to full mount in the second round and countered with some heavy ground and pound elbows, but was unable to finish. Oliveira moved to the back in the third and fourth rounds, gaining superior position with body triangles and a hunt choke. Chandler (23-9, 2-4 UFC) refused to leave, his indomitable will shining brightly in everyone’s eyes. Early in the fifth round, he staggered Oliveira with a vicious right cross, slipped during a hot pursuit, went up top and pounded Oliveira with elbows and punches. Oliveira eventually got back to his feet and slipped past the exhausted Kill Cliff Fight Club representative, dragging him to the canvas and wasting away the remaining time despite repeated backpack slaps from the American. .
Oliveira, 35, has won 13 of his last 15 fights.
Also later on the card, four-time NCAA All-American wrestler and three-time U.S. champion Bo Nickal earned a unanimous verdict in three rounds from former British Mixed Martial Arts Association titleholder Paul Craig, winning Cleared the highest hurdle ever. Middleweight showcase. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27 for Knickal (7-0, 4-0 UFC).
It wasn’t a visually appealing contest. Nickal changed his stance, flying overhands from both sides and doing business entirely on his feet. Craig had his moments, as body kicks were his most effective weapon, but he lacked the speed and athleticism needed to compete against American Top Team’s top contenders. Nickal caused a gash near the Scotsman’s right eye in the third round with an overhand left, keeping his nose in front the entire time.
Craig, 36, has lost three games in a row.
Elsewhere, former Pancrase champion Vivian Araujo defeated Karine Silva by unanimous decision in three rounds in the women’s flyweight division, earning her second victory in three fights. Araujo (13-6, 7-5 UFC) dominated the card with a score of 29-28.
Silva (18-5, 4-1 UFC) got off to a strong start but began to falter towards the end. She staggered Araujo with a straight right in the first round, then moved into the clinch and landed a series of knees. Silva’s effort caused his opponent to suffer a severe nosebleed, but was unable to stop him the way he had hoped. Araujo slowly turned things around over the next 10 minutes. She threatened with an armbar in the second round and began to find a home for her punches in the third. Silva had visible fatigue issues in moments of weakness and retreated into a butt-scoot position on numerous occasions. It didn’t look good for the judges.
The loss ended Silva’s winning streak at nine.
Finally, Fighting Nerds’ rising star Mauricio Luffy used sharp jabs, evasive moves, and surgical power punches to defeat former Fusion Fighting Championship titleholder James Rontop in three rounds of the 165-pound catchweight entrée. A unanimous verdict was rendered. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Laffey (11-1, 2-0 UFC).
Rontop (14-5, 0-3 UFC), who was introduced late in place of Charlie Campbell, continued to advance against an opponent with superior firepower. Luffy landed a right cross in the first round, a strong left hook in the second round, and held out from there. Rontop’s sturdy jaws were the only thing that kept him upright. In the third round, he fought Luffy at close range, scoring points with short range punches and foot stomps. His profits were minimal. Luffy calmly walked away from the danger, maintaining a relatively safe distance from the Peruvian marauders.
Luffy, 28 years old, achieved six consecutive wins.
