Essentially the most embellished UFC gentle heavyweight and heavyweight champions collide on Saturday. Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic headline UFC 309 inside New York Metropolis’s Madison Sq. Backyard in a possible closing outing for each males.
Jones and Miocic are noncommittal about retiring, however each males have confirmed that Saturday’s combat might be their final. Jones makes his first title protection as heavyweight champion as Miocic tries to reclaim the belt he misplaced to Francis Ngannou greater than three years in the past.
It has been an odd week for a lot of following the game as most consideration has shifted to a possible Jones vs. Tom Aspinall combat. Whereas Jones was inactive, Aspinall stepped up and earned the interim heavyweight crown and has carried out all the things he can to persuade Jones to take a combat with him. As an alternative, Jones has given a litany of excuses for why that will not occur, starting from Jones’ declare {that a} win over Aspinall does nothing for his legacy to eager to drop the belt altogether to pursue tremendous fights with Alex Pereira and Derrick Lewis to straight up not liking Aspinall and the way he has gone about his enterprise. None of that may matter, in fact, as soon as Jones steps contained in the ring on Saturday night time, but it surely continues to linger over all the things else happening at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Elsewhere on the cardboard, a light-weight rematch between prime contenders is about when former champion Charles Oliveira takes on former Bellator king Michael Chandler. The 2 beforehand met in 2021 for the vacant strap at 155 kilos with Oliveira overcoming an early barrage from Chandler to attain a second-round knockout for the championship. It capped off an unbelievable profession resurgence for the Brazilian because it was his ninth straight win. Oliveira went on to defend the title twice earlier than lastly assembly his match in present titleholder Islam Makhachev in October 2022. Chandler, in the meantime, hasn’t seen the Octagon a lot since 2022 as he waited for Conor McGregor to hitch him. After spurts of anticipating the combat to materialize, together with for Worldwide Combat Week this yr, Chandler lastly moved on in an effort to remain lively.
Plus, rising middleweight prospect Bo Nickal is again when he takes on veteran Paul Craig. Nickal is among the most embellished newbie wrestlers of all time and has confirmed himself properly early on in his MMA profession. Now, he will get an opponent who ought to be capable to give him some resistance within the grappling division in Craig, who’s a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu.
With a lot taking place on Saturday night time, let’s look nearer on the full combat card with the newest odds earlier than we get to our employees predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities.
UFC 309 combat card, odds
- Jon Jones -625 vs. Stipe Miocic +450, heavyweight title
- Charles Oliveira -265 vs. Michael Chandler +215, lightweights
- Bo Nickal -1200 vs. Paul Craig +750, middleweights
- Karine Silva -265 vs. Viviane Araujo +215, ladies’s flyweights
- Mauricio Ruffy -900 vs. James Llontop +625, 165-pound catchweight
- Marcus McGhee -130 vs. Jonathan Martinez +110, bantamweights
- Eryk Anders -130 vs. Chris Weidman +110, middleweights
- Damon Jackson -165 vs. Jim Miller +140, lightweights
- Marcin Tybura -130 vs. Jhonata Diniz +110, heavyweights
- Mickey Gall -135 vs. Raminz Brahimaj +115, welterweights
- Oban Elliot -220 vs. Basil Hafez +180, welterweights
- Veronica Hardy -150 vs. Eduarda Moura +125, ladies’s flyweights
With such a large essential occasion on faucet, the crew at CBS Sports activities went forward with predictions and picks for the principle card. Listed here are your decide makers: Brent Brookhouse (Fight sports activities author), Brian Campbell (Fight sports activities author), Shakiel Mahjouri (author), Michael Mormile (producer) and Brandon Sensible (senior editor).
UFC 309 picks, predictions
| Campbell | Brookhouse | Mahjouri | Mormile | Sensible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones (c) vs. Miocic | Jones | Jones | Jones | Jones | Jones |
| Oliveira vs. Chandler | Oliveira | Oliveira | Oliveira | Oliveira | Chandler |
| Nickal vs. Craig | Nickal | Nickal | Nickal | Nickal | Nickal |
| Araujo vs. Silva | Silva | Silva | Silva | Silva | Silva |
| Ruffy vs. Llontop | Ruffy | Ruffy | Ruffy | Ruffy | Ruffy |
Jones vs. Miocic
Campbell: Jones is 37, snapping a 20-month layoff and returns to the ring for the primary time since tearing a pectoral tendon. Miocic, in the meantime, is 42, hasn’t fought in practically 4 years and hasn’t received a combat since 2020. Each of these sentences verify that something can occur when these two getting old legends lastly face off after their initially scheduled combat was delayed for one yr. The distinction comes all the way down to Jones’ capacity to win shut fights below nearly any circumstance. Even with the punching energy of Miocic and the stubbornness of his takedown protection, Jones is extra dynamic of a striker and has been coaching with two of the best floor practitioners in all of fight sports activities: Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson and jiu-jitsu legend Gordon Ryan. Supplied Jones can take the combat to the bottom, it would not be a shocker to see him end it there like he did in opposition to Cyril Gane in his 2023 heavyweight debut.
Brookhouse: Miocic hasn’t received a combat since August 2020 and hasn’t fought since being knocked out by Francis Ngannou in March 2021. That is not precisely a perfect current resume for a contender, even one who has had as nice of a profession as Miocic. Jones’ exercise stage is not a lot better, having solely fought as soon as since his controversial win over Dominick Reyes in February 2020, however that combat was him working by way of Ciryl Gane with ease to develop into champion. Miocic’s age and inactivity makes it exhausting to select him in opposition to somebody as dynamic as Jones. It may not be a fairly combat, but it surely’d be surprising if it wasn’t one which ended with Jones’ hand raised.
Mahjouri: I will be rooting for Miocic. Not as a result of I favor him or need to see Jones lose, however as a result of I like to upset the applecart. It could frankly be hilarious to see Miocic sling the UFC heavyweight title over his shoulder and stroll off right into a burning constructing to avoid wasting an previous girl. He advised my CBS Sports activities’ colleague Brian Campbell that he already has a shift booked on the firehouse. Sadly, I do not usually get my method. Miocic benefited from being an athletic, cellular heavyweight combating extra one-dimensional opponents. Now he is 42-years-old combating an arguably extra athletic and extra expert foe. Jones is the extra refined striker and grappler with higher massive match expertise. He is bought youth on his aspect and a deep arsenal of instruments. Miocic might be heavier on combat night time. Energy is the very last thing to go and he is at all times conditioned. It is doable Miocic’s dimension benefit bridges the hole of their abilities, but it surely’s exhausting to select in opposition to Jones. I think Jones finds the end early or takes it the complete 5 rounds.
Oliveira vs. Chandler
Campbell: At 35, this might be Oliveira’s final shot at shifting into place to compete for the light-weight title he as soon as held for 17 months just some years again after having misplaced two of his final three. However Chandler is now 38 and he enters not solely having misplaced three of his final 4 however recent off of an pointless two-year layoff which solely befell as a result of Conor McGregor was unable, bodily, to indicate up for his or her scheduled combat. Count on this rematch to look so much just like the vacant title combat between them from 2021 when Oliveira rebounded from being dropped early to complete Chandler off. Each fighters are a bit older however simply as keen to make the motion occur. It is simply that Oliveira nonetheless has extra methods to complete the combat.
Mahjouri: You’ll be able to ask these guys to combat extra duty, however you possibly can’t ask them to be boring. Their dynamism is vital to what makes them elite. Oliveira knocked out Chandler for the vacant light-weight title in 2021. It is simple to overlook how that combat performed out contemplating the end and their particular person trajectories afterward. Oliveira stopped Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in an exhilarating title marketing campaign; in the meantime, Chandler solely beat Tony Ferguson whereas dropping to each of Oliveira’s challengers. Chandler handidly beat Oliveira in Spherical 1 of their combat, scoring two 10-8 scorecards. He additionally survived having Oliveira on his again searching a rear-naked choke. Each fighters are aggressive offensively and vulnerable to a end, which means a win for both candidate is in play. Chandler advised CBS Sports activities he’d combat extra mindfully shifting ahead in pursuit of a UFC title. Oliveira needs to be the fearless “Do Bronx” of previous. I feel Oliveira’s weapons are a little bit stronger and he is a contact much less weak to being completed. So I will aspect with him by way of stoppage.
Sensible: Whereas loads of knowledge would counsel that the winner of the primary combat in rematches is sort of at all times profitable within the second go round, it is robust for me to see Oliveira pulling this off once more. Its simple to overlook that Oliveira was practically stopped within the opening spherical in opposition to Chandler in 2021 along with his energy on full show. Whereas Oliveira has beloved to get into wars with the elites within the division the previous couple of years, that invoice has to return due quickly, and at 35, going through an elite striker for the primary time in two years, his chin is about to be examined in a giant method. Chandler finds his redemption and re-emergence within the title image.
Nickal vs. Craig
Campbell: Within the two years since Nickal first debuted on “Dana White’s Contender Sequence,” the Penn State wrestling legend has received 5 fights (together with three official UFC bouts) however has but to be totally examined, notably on his ft. Do not count on this to be the true check followers have been ready for the 28-year-old to undertake as Craig, regardless of being a submission wizard, takes far an excessive amount of harm to arrange his submission grappling makes an attempt. Craig has misplaced 4 of his final 5, together with three by stoppage, and sure will get reduce ought to he lose once more. However the native of Scotland merely does not have the placing to make Nickal pay and lacks the wrestling sport to maintain his opponent away from what he does greatest. Nickal, an enormous betting favourite, ought to survive and advance as he continues to shut in on a top-15 rating at 185 kilos.
Mahjouri: I method choosing Nickal with trepidation. Certain, Craig is defensively weak and on a 1-4 skid. Craig was additionally stopped by three fighters presently ranked within the UFC’s official gentle heavyweight or middleweight prime 10. The resistance Cody Brundage gave Nickal provides me pause. Craig has greater than four-times Nickal’s MMA expertise and wins over a number of UFC champions. Craig’s submissions are a fancy puzzle for Nickal to thoughts. Craig is a grasp at sneaking in Hail Mary submissions. Have a look at how he submitted Magomed Ankalev with one second left of their combat. Nickal might need superior placing energy however Craig has skilled extensively for extra refined strikers. It does not sound like I am siding with Nickal however I’m. I feel collegiate wrestling standout can dictate the phrases. He should sluggish issues down, crack Craig with energy and mindfully pursue the end.
Who wins UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic, and the way precisely does the combat finish? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed picks and evaluation from the incomparable knowledgeable who’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and discover out.
