Two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters said goodbye last night (Sat., Nov. 16, 2024)
Stipe Miocic fought his final UFC fight at UFC 309 last night when UFC Heavyweight champion Jon Jones stopped him with an incredible spinning back kick from inside the iconic Madison Square Garden (watch highlights).
After his loss, Miocic told UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan, “I’m done, I’m hanging them up. I’m retiring, thank god.”
Watch it below:
Miocic, 42, had a legendary run inside the Octagon and ends his career with a 14-5 record inside the promotion (20-5 overall), which included six Performance of the Night bonuses and three Fight of the Night paychecks.
Miocic claimed his first UFC Heavyweight title when he knocked out Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 and then defended it three times with wins over Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou. He reclaimed the title in a rematch with Daniel Cormier and then defended it in their trilogy.
There is no doubt that Miocic is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
The former two-time champion was not the only athlete to retire. Damon Jackson also laid down his gloves after his first-round submission loss to Jim Miller (watch highlights).
Jackson did not have a great run in his first stint in the UFC, going 0-1-2, but came back with a vengeance when he was re-signed in 2020, going 5-1 in his first six fights, only losing to Ilia Topuira. “The Leech” ends his career on a two-fight losing streak.
MMAMania.com wants to wish Miocic and Jackson a happy retirement.
For complete UFC 309 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
