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The Biggest Winners & Losers From UFC 309

Who emerged as the biggest winners and losers at UFC 309?

Mathew Riddle

Haljestam-MMA Junki

Many performances from UFC 309 were overshadowed by the gigantic main event between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. UFC 309 itself was dwarfed by the magnitude of Jake Paul fighting Mike Tyson the night before. However, this doesn't diminish the wins and losses of the UFC fighters who put it all on the line in New York.

Who Were the Biggest Winners & Losers From UFC 309?

Winner: Oban Elliott

'The Welsh Gangster' Oban Elliott made a statement with a third round knockout over Bassil Hafez. Elliott was in desperate need of a UFC finish since riding a six-fight decision streak.

With this victory, Elliott gained the attention of the casual audience, and positions himself for a name-value fight in his next appearance.

Losers: Damon Jackson & Mickey Gall

Both Damon Jackson and Mickey Gall were on the end of some pretty quick finishes. This wouldn't be important if not for their recent records. Jackson is 1-4 in his last five fights and retired in the Octagon at UFC 309

Gall is also 1-4, riding a four-fight losing streak. Fans couldn't fathom how 7-7 Gall was still in the UFC, and if he was ever on the chopping block, it was at UFC 309.

Loser: Jhonata Diniz

Former GLORY kickboxer Jhonata Diniz had a fair amount of hype entering his heavyweight matchup with Derrick Lewis on November 2. This came crashing down when Lewis pulled out for undisclosed reasons, and Diniz was rescheduled to face the lesser known, but arguably more dangerous Marcin Tybura at UFC 309.

Tybura is known for being a stylistic nightmare for most heavyweight hopefuls. He knows how to grapple, smother, and finish opponents on the ground. This is exactly what happened to Diniz, who lost his undefeated record to a flurry of hellbows at the end of round one.

Now, Diniz suffered his first defeat at the hands of an unpopular fighter, it's do-or-die in his next UFC appearance.

Winner & Loser: Jon Jones

Jones dispatched 42-year-old semi-retired (now fully-retired) heavyweight great Stipe Miocic. While 'Bones' legitimized his position as the division's champion, he did so against a fighter who was four years detached from his last Octagon appearance, which was a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou during COVID-era UFC in 2021.

Jon Jones Recap: Next Fight, 'F*** You' Money, Tom Aspinall & Alex Pereira

Jones' Heavyweight Title is Not 'Undisputed'

The only caveat for Jones' victory is that it wasn't for the undisputed title. As we all know, British phenom Tom Aspinall has been waiting in the wings with his interim heavyweight title for over a year. If Jones wants to keep his heavyweight belt, he'll likely have to give Aspinall a chance at undisputed.

So, does Jones risk his final shining moments against a lethal challenger, or does he add fuel to the ducking allegations by avoiding Aspinall for another fight? Let's see what happens.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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