Jon Jones has scheduled his highly anticipated return to the Octagon for November 16th. This news comes as Merab Dvalishvili achieved a significant victory, defeating Sean O`Malley and becoming the new UFC bantamweight champion.
Heavyweight champion Jon Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.
He is set to face Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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This upcoming bout will be Jones` first defense of the UFC heavyweight title. He secured the championship in March 2023 by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round.
That victory marked Jones` return to fighting after a three-year hiatus and his debut in the heavyweight division. Following that win, Jones proclaimed it the biggest opportunity of his career, aiming to defeat Stipe Miocic, whom he considers the heavyweight GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). He confidently stated his intention not only to beat Miocic but to finish him decisively.
Jones was originally slated to fight Miocic last year, but the fight was postponed due to a pectoral injury Jones sustained.
The announcement of the fight took place at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the same venue that hosted the O`Malley versus Dvalishvili title fight.
In a major upset, Dvalishvili dominated O`Malley to claim the UFC bantamweight title, controlling the fight and earning a unanimous decision victory.
The judges` scorecards reflected Dvalishvili`s dominance with scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.
Adding to the night`s drama, Valentina Shevchenko reclaimed the flyweight championship in the co-main event. Shevchenko defeated Alexa Grasso in their third encounter, winning every round on all judges` scorecards.
This trilogy fight followed Grasso`s initial title win against Shevchenko and their subsequent draw in the rematch.
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