Jon Jones retains UFC heavyweight title with spinning kick to stop Stipe Miocic, celebrates with President-elect Donald Trump

Jon Jones retained his UFC heavyweight title with an impressive spinning kick to stop Stipe Miocic in the third round of their fight at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

Jon Jones retained his UFC heavyweight title with an impressive spinning kick to stop Stipe Miocic in the third round of their fight at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Jones had not fought since winning the title in his heavyweight debut in March last year while for Miocic, it was his first time in the octagon since 2021. And there was little to separate the two veteran fighters in the first two rounds until the final seconds of the third when Jones produced a powerful spinning kick which hit Miocic in his midriff causing him to double over in pain. The referee waved off the fight and Jones celebrated the retention of his title and his place as arguably the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time. There had been plenty of talk of what Jones would do after this fight should he win, with retirement, a unification fight against interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall – the British fighter was in attendance in New York – and a blockbuster light heavyweight clash with Alex Pereira all possibilities. And in the octagon afterwards, the 37-year-old played down the possibility of retirement.