UFC 309 Main Event Best Bet
It’s time again, the UFC returns to Madison Square Garden for their annual trip to New York City. This PPV card is usually a sign of a big-time fight in the headlining spot and the UFC could not have asked for a better matchup. According to early trends, this is the second-highest gate in UFC history, behind only Conor McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez back at UFC 205. Read more UFC 309 main event best bet.
The G.O.A.T. and heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, makes his return to defend his title and continue cementing his legacy.
Stipe Miocic, the only UFC heavyweight to defend the title 3 times, returns to lay claim to the title he lost back in early 2021.
Will the dominance of Jones reign supreme once again? Or will Miocic finally hand Jones his first legitimate loss while capturing gold? Read on to see how this battle of G.O.A.T.s will go down and how to bet it to come out with some profit.
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Jon Jones
When I first got into the sport, Jon Jones was on the rise. Being able to witness his greatness and ascension in the light heavyweight division was something that may never be replicated. He was active, dominant, and never turned down a single contender. It will be hard to come across a fighter that’s been as dominant and successful as he has. Had it not been for a few out-of-cage mishaps for him, he may have turned to the heavyweight division sooner and built an even bigger legacy. For now, he must settle on the fact that he has the heavyweight championship, after defeating Cyril Gane with ease early last year, and now gets the opportunity to defend it against the most accomplished heavyweight champion in UFC history.
People would often make fun of Jones for having chicken legs and a good kicker would be able to debilitate him, but he has always managed to stay in control of his fights and dictate the pace. He is a master at range management, utilizes a wide variety of striking techniques to keep his opponents guessing, and his ground game is not talked about enough. Once he gets takedowns, he does a great job of controlling opponents and then finding ways to get submission opportunities. Grip strength is another overlooked aspect of his strengths, hence when he has been able to put guys to sleep and complete chokes that many believe are easy to get out of. At 37, Jones could have a few more successful years at this division if he chooses to stick around.
Stipe Miocic
An early loss to Stefan Struve in 2012 made people believe that Miocic did not have as high of a ceiling as he ended up achieving. He had put together a three-fight winning streak after that loss then ran into Junior dos Santos who beat him over the course of 5 rounds. Two straight wins after that second loss led to a title shot that he made the most of, knocking out Fabricio Werdum in half a round to win the title in mid-2016. He would go on to defend the title three times before running into Daniel Cormier in mid-2018. Miocic exacted his revenge on Cormier twice over the next two years before rematching Francis Ngannou in March 2021 and getting knocked out. Sitting on the sidelines for almost 3.5 years now, Miocic had long deserved an immediate shot at the title and timing has finally allowed for him to do so this weekend.
Miocic has a wrestling game in his back pocket if he needs it, but I think the most impressive part of his game comes from his striking. Boxing and everything that comes with it, footwork, hand speed, and combinations, is where Miocic thrives most. That’s what led him to finishing 15 of his 20 wins. Now 42, though, it will be interesting to see what father time has done to the Ohio-native, and if it will hinder him from achieving UFC gold again. Never one to ditch his hometown, Miocic was one of the very few fighters competing at this level that has stayed at a smaller gym and been successful doing so.
The Pick
Seeing Jones entrenched as a massive favorite makes sense here. I think even with his layoff and all the external factors, he is still the most dominant fighter on the planet. I expect Jones to take control of the fight and likely lean on his wrestling and grappling once again. Miocic may be the slightly tighter and cleaner striker, but it will be hard to get a beat on Jones and I eventually expect Jones to get this to the ground and dominate. Don’t be surprised to see him use nasty elbows to pound his way to a victory. Ultimately, I think we’ll see Jones get to a submission position that he will capitalize on and get the tap or put Miocic out cold.
Jones via Submission +200
