The much-anticipated heavyweight clash between champion Jon Jones and challenger Stipe Miocic is just days away—barring setbacks, of course—with UFC 309 on the horizon. It appears it is all systems go for this gargantuan showdown between one of the greatest heavyweights of all time (Miocic) and arguably the best to ever do it in MMA (Jones).
With the stage all but set, let’s take a by-the-numbers at UFC 309’s headliner:
1,331
That would be the number of days that have passed since Miocic last fought in the UFC. Miocic last stepped foot in the Octagon in UFC 260 on March 27, 2021 (U.S. time), when he lost his heavyweight belt to Francis Ngannou via KO in the second round. In all, the challenger has not fought the equivalent of 3.6 years.
623
Not that Jones has been active himself. The champion has been known to take quite some time off between fights, mostly because he seemingly always finds himself in some sort of trouble. When he goes up against Miocic on Sunday (Manila time), he will have been inactive for 623 days, or the equivalent of almost two years. He last fought in UFC 285 on 4 March 2023, when he beat Cyril Gane in one round to win the UFC heavyweight belt.
6
Despite the time off, Miocic is bringing some serious championship pedigree when he faces Jones at UFC 309. The Ohio-born fighter has had two reigns as heavyweight champion and is in the record books for having the most heavyweight title fight wins at six.
15
Jones himself is no slouch either when it comes to championship fights. In fact, he holds the record for most title wins all-time at 15. It would have been 16 if his win against Daniel Cormier in UFC 214 was not overturned to a No Contest after Jones tested positive for a performance enhancer.
47
Jones and Miocic are two of the best to ever do it in MMA, and their combined 47 wins are a testament to that. Jones, for his career, is 27-1-0 (1 NC), while Miocic is 20-4. The latter, in particular, has been a pillar of the heavyweight division, ranked fifth all time in total wins at 14. Jones, in contrast, has just one win in this division but is fourth all time at light heavyweight with 22 total wins.
84
Among the strengths of Jones is his phenomenal length as shown in his 84-inch reach. The champion uses his long arms to establish and keep his distance, allowing him to fight in the pocket and oftentimes dictate tempo. He will have the same advantage against Miocic, but it won’t be as pronounced since the former champ’s reach extends to 80 inches.
4.82
Striking has always been Miocic’s MO, and the 4.82 significant strikes he lands per minute on average attests to that strength. In other words, any chance Miocic will have against Jones will likely be in the standup, where the former champion does most of his damage.
1.93
While Jones is widely regarded as among the most well-rounded fighters in all of MMA, he might have a distinct advantage over Miocic on the ground. This is where the champ’s 1.93 takedowns per 15 minutes might come into play should Jones look to take Miocic completely out of his comfort zone.
When Is UFC 309?
UFC 309 will take place on Sunday, November 17, Manila time. The co-main event will be Charles Oliviera and Michael Chandler in what promises to be an explosive lightweight scrap. Rising middleweight Bo Nickal will also be fighting opposite Paul Craig.
