Jon Jones To Defend Heavyweight Title Against Stipe Miocic in UFC 295 Main Event

Madison Square Garden will once again host one of the biggest fights in combat sports history.

Jon Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295, which will take place at Madison Square Garden on November 11.

With fans already preparing themselves for a stacked UFC 290 card that includes a pair of fantastic title fights, UFC President Dana White decided to add to the spectacle of International Fight Week by announcing perhaps the biggest heavyweight title fight in the promotion’s history.

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IT’S OFFICIALLY HAPPENING 🚨@JonnyBones vs @StipeMiocic for the heavyweight title will headline #UFC295 at Madison Square Garden!! pic.twitter.com/Que6RwEjo4

— UFC (@ufc) July 7, 2023

A former light heavyweight champion and arguably the greatest fighter in the history of MMA, Jones made his heavyweight debut at UFC 285 after more than three years away from the Octagon.

"Bones” needed just over two minutes to claim the vacant heavyweight belt by submitting former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane, and fans have been eagerly waiting to see who the 35-year-old would meet for the first defense of his new title.

Jones ran through a number of former champions during his time at light heavyweight, and now he’ll meet a fighter than many fans consider to be the GOAT of the heavyweight division. Miocic holds the UFC record for heavyweight title defenses, and he previously reigned as the division’s champion on two different occasions.

Jon Jones claimed the UFC's vacant heavyweight title at UFC 285.  :: (AP Photo/David Becker)

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As dominant as Jones' heavyweight debut against Gane was, many fans argued that just over two minutes of cage time did little to indicate how the 35-year-old would fare at heavyweight. “Bones” had previously discussed the idea of facing Miocic immediately after winning the title, however recently that speculation had died down in favor of possibly meeting a younger contender like Sergei Pavlovich.

Miocic’s bid to become a three-time heavyweight champion will also come nearly three years after he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou in his last fight, but there’s no denying that the matchup between two all-time greats will be one of the most anticipated bouts in UFC history.

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