The unveiling of the UFC 309 poster is the perfect selling point in the UFC-PFL war

The highly anticipated heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC MMA) and Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA) is less than a month away and headlines UFC 309 on November 16 from Madison Square Garden in New York City. .

Jones and Miocic were scheduled to fight at UFC 295 last fall, but a torn pectoral muscle forced Jones to withdraw. Miocic opted not to take another fight unless it was against Jones, but said his absence from MMA shouldn’t be the reason the division remains at a standstill.

Regardless of Miocic’s comments, this fight was always meant to be since Jones relinquished the light heavyweight title in 2020. Upon his arrival at heavyweight, he was always open to taking on all challengers, despite Francis Ngannou opting to leave the UFC after signing. postponement before signing with the PFL last May. Ngannou dispatched Renan Ferreira last Saturday, becoming the organization’s heavyweight champion.

Back to the UFC angle: there’s every right to have Jones vs. Milking Miocic as one of the biggest fights in corporate history, let alone divisional history. This narrative was pushed further on Monday when the promotion unveiled a poster that prominently placed the fight at the forefront of a New York City backdrop around MSG.

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It’s easy to blame the UFC for bringing this fight a few years too late, but Jones can never claim to be the best heavyweight the sport has ever seen unless he beats the man with the most title defenses in the history of the division.

The UFC is trying to give Jones a storybook ending. Just like when Michael Jordan led the Bulls to six championship victories or when Tom Brady’s run with the Patriots was captivated by a defensive masterclass against the Rams, Jones has his chance to complete his version of the story. For Miocic, a win would help him remind the world that his 2016-2021 title run was no fluke, help him erase the pain of losing Ngannou and, assuming he retires, end a of the best careers the sport has ever seen.

Even if Jones never fights Ngannou, their careers simply can’t make a fair comparison, let alone take into account Jones’ two-division dominance over Ngannou’s.

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Whatever the case, the debate over who is the best heavyweight in the world rages on. The fact of the matter, however, is that it is no coincidence that Jones-Miocic takes place around the same time as Ngannou’s win. It is personal for both parties to outdo each other, and that is exactly what is happening here.

On November 16, a story that has waited three years for its climax and ultimately tapering action begins. It’s finally happening. Tom Aspinall will be waiting in the wings to pass the torch, and rightly so.

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