The long-awaited fight has been booked between Jon Jones and former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who still holds the heavyweight record for most title defenses in a weight class.
On Friday, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Jones (27-1, 1NC) and Miocic (20-4) will face off on November 11, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The event, numerically speaking, is expected to be UFC 295.
The news broke as part of a video announcement ahead of the ceremonial UFC 290 weigh-in in Las Vegas.
After years out of action, Jones, the promotion’s former lightweight champion, finally made the transition to heavyweight earlier this year. At UFC 285 in March, Jones returned to face Cyril Gane for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship, in the wake of Francis Ngannou’s exit from the company.
Jones made short work of Jean the French, delivering the former interim champion in less than a round.
As a Light Heavyweight Champion, “Bones” has an unparalleled record. But his drug testing scandals are unparalleled in UFC history. Jones has been stripped of the titles a full three times during his light heavyweight run — twice for a failed drug test, and once for violating the UFC Athlete’s Code of Conduct, after fleeing the scene of a car crash where his car collided with the car of a stand.
Other scandals, including allegations of domestic violence and accusations of sexual assault, continued to haunt Jones even as he stepped away from the spotlight in 2021, when he relinquished his 205-pound title.
In the decade, Miocic brings with him a solid and clean image, having continued to work as a firefighter throughout his mixed martial arts career. His three title defenses from 2016 to 2018 remain a record with the company; After losing his belt to Daniel Cormier in July 2018, he would win two more fights against DC before losing the belt again, this time to Francis Ngannou in the pair’s second meeting.
No other fights for the November card are currently announced.