Jones vs. Miocic Showdown & Rest of UFC 309 Highlights

UFC 309 already promises to be an MMA event for the ages. Jon Jones is getting back to the ring, and that’s one of the reasons. Former champion Stipe Miocic will be his adversary in this clash of the Titans. The heavyweight title is on the line and we couldn’t have wished for a better duel. The co-main event is also going to be great, we can already tell, as it is a showdown between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira. The drama is on the cards, and everyone should ensure not to miss a single round.  

UFC 309 Location, Date & Time 

As we said, this UFC event is one for the ages. It is being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, US, and that speaks volumes in itself. This arena, usually reserved for NBA basketball, has also been a home to plenty of fighting. Some of the biggest events in the history of combat sports have occurred at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, US. So, it’s no wonder that Dana White and UFC have selected this arena to host UFC 309. The heavyweight bout between Miocic and Jones already looks to be remembered for eternity and the fighters haven’t even stepped into the ring. The preliminary rounds have been scheduled to start at 6pm ET on Saturday, November 16th. The main event is scheduled two hours later. We’re so close we can feel the fists winging. 

Picks & Previews – Main Card 

The biggest bout of the main card and the leading duel of the night is, of course, the fight between heavyweight giants Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. Our expert UFC picks claim that Jones is the favorite to win this one and not by a small margin. If you’re a betting man, picking Jones to win KO/TKO would be a wise choice. 

The next fight on the main card is a super interesting duel between Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler. We won’t step away from a challenge to predict this bout, but it is not an easy decision. Now that you’ve cornered us, the pick is an Oliveira win, but only via submission. We believe that this duel is going to be decided on the floor. 

UFC 309 promises much fun, as every match is a true battle. The contest of Viviane Araújo vs. Karine Silva is not an easy one to predict. Due to battles such as this one being the main event, we might be late, so we beg for your patience while streaming the fights. If you’re going to follow our advice, then be sure to pick Silva to win by a decision. 

Let’s now move on to the Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig fight. A close fight indeed, but one where we give the advantage to Bo Nickal. Our picks have him winning this bout by a KO/TKO. The riskier bettors will have him handing down a clear KO, but it wouldn’t be unwise to cover the technical part of it. After all, you bet to win, not to be right all the time. 

The last fight on the main card we’re going to cover with our more than direct picks and predictions is the showdown between Chris Weidman and Eryk Anders. This one is going to be a test of wills. Everything will be taken to the last second, and the decision will be left in the hands of judges. If you ask us what we think they’ll decide, it’s Anders by decision. 

Picks & Previews – Preliminary Card

If you’re a fan of UFC betting online, the chances are that you’ll have more fun during the preliminary card and duels such as the one between Nikita Krylov and Azamat Murzakanov. Some of these matches will breed a new generation of future champions. If all goes to plan and our picks are correct, the next big name in the world of MMA might be Azamat Murzakanov, whom we predict will win this match by KO/TKO. 

While we’re at the preliminary card, you need to aim at a KO/TKO win by McGhee in the Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee duel. Both fighters are going eagerly into this event but we can’t see past McGhee taking home the win here. If you want a riskier bet, aim at a first-round KO. 

Our last preliminary round pick is going to be on the Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson bout. There is no clear-cut favorite here. But if we have to guess, and we have to, it’s what we do. The win is going Miller’s way, but it’s going to be a win by a unanimous decision. 

Picks & Previews – Early Prelims

While the focus of a casual MMA viewer will be on the main bout between Jones and Miocic, a casual bettor such as ourselves will have eyes on every match from early prelims to the main bout. That’s why neither you nor us should miss the Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj duel. These stars in the making are going to put on a show you can watch on the betting and streaming platform Stake.com, and we predict a Brahimaj win by submission. 

If you’re interested in the next-gen of MMA stars in the making, Bassil Hafez vs. Oban Elliot should also be on your viewing card. These two will be exchanging hits and takedowns from the first second of their match, and if you are unsure where to put your bet, do not hesitate to pick Hafez to win by KO/TKO. He’s that good. 

Lastly, we have two ladies who are beasts inside the octagon: Veronica Hardy and Eduarda Moura. Do not think for a second that these two will fight in the early prelims for much longer. It is only a matter of time before they start their climb toward the top, and in our opinion, Hardy will take the first step, winning this duel by decision. 

Fighter Record & Past Encounters

Before anyone jumps to conclusions and hasty betting picks and predictions, it is always better to take a history lesson first. When it comes to MMA and UFC, everything is well documented, and you can make some future predictions by looking at past duels first. Let’s do that together. We’re going to start with Jones and Miocic. 

Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic

It’s been a while since the last fight that Jones had, and the fans see him as a fighter on the decline. This doesn’t change that he’s one of the best to ever do it. He started dominating the light heavyweight divisions and moved forward at a rapid pace. No one saw him taking down Cyril Gane and the heavyweight title but he has done that too without too much effort. He was, and probably still is, that good. The belt is his, and while he is being called out by both fans and pundits that he’s avoiding Tom Aspinall, the interim champion, in what would have been the real fight for a heavyweight title, he remains the champion and is favored to win this bout against Miocic. 

Across him in the octagon is going to be Stipe Miocic. A once great champion is now on a heavy decline. It’s not that he’s not good but he hasn’t had a fight in a while. Stipe’s last win came back in 2020 when he won against Daniel Cormier. Many believed that he was retired before Miocic accepted this challenge. Yet, Miocic remains a legend of this sport, and with 42 years of age to his name, he’s one of the oldest title challengers in the history of the sport. Because of everything we’ve said so far, Jones is the hot favorite to win this one. For many, it will be a one-sided duel because of the long years Stipe has been inactive. Despite that fact, he has skills and experience, and if the stars align, he could pose a challenge for Jon Jones no one saw coming. 

Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler

For many of us, this fight is even more interesting than the Jones vs. Miocic duel. Oliveira has a persistent style, always aims for a quick finish, and loves to have high-pressure bouts. The crowd loves him. Some people even dubbed him the bonus-hunter as his fighting style brought him many UFC bonuses. Before facing a tough opponent in Islam Makhachev, Charles was on an eleven-win streak. Talk about success! Some names he took down include Chandler, Poirier, and Gaethje, among many others. At UFC 309 he will give Chandler a rematch in a duel that once again heavily favors him. Submission skills are his forte, and you should be on the lookout for those from the moment the bell rings. 

Chandler will be looking to make a difference when he faces Oliveira again. He is not on a great run of form and is 2:2 in his last four fights. All of you know that he’s been biding his time looking for a spectacular bout against no other than Conor McGregor. Now that it is evident that a fight between them will probably never be on the cards, he is facing Oliveira once again. Like Miocic, Chandler has been sidelined for a while and his last serious bout was back in 2022. It will be interesting to see if he still has gunpowder in his hand which will guarantee that we will have a different fight on our hands from what Oliveira is gearing up for. 

Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig

UFC is a fighting league that is always looking for the next big star. The name that first that description is Bo Nickal who has been seen as a star on the rise since college. He brings elite wrestling to UFC, and is now one of the more complete MMA fighters in his division and at his age. The professional career of Bo Nickal has been a winning one, with his current score being 6:0. The former NCAA Division 1 national champion is seen as the next title challenger after only 3 UFC fights. While this is certainly on the cards, he first needs to defeat the man standing before him, and that’s Paul Craig.

Craig, on the other hand, is a different type of beast. An experienced one at that. The  Scottish MMA fighter has a score of 17:8:1 in his professional career. Two of those eight defeats have come his way in the last two bouts. Because his form is slipping he’s seen as a massive underdog entering this bout. With Nickal across from him, who is seen as a submission expert, his chances diminish even more. Despite that, we expected the fight to be fought on the legs with plenty more striking than Bo would have liked. Yet, Bo is not without power in his hands. Being heavily favored to win, we can see this fight going Nickal’s way, be it by KO/TKO or even by submission. 

Summary 

There you have it. UFC 309, as seen through our eyes, is presented via main and less vital fights. When you’re an MMA fighter in the UFC every fight matters. The same goes when you’re betting on the UFC – every pick and prediction matters, too. With a bit of advice on our side, and with direction pointed out where to look anyone can make a nice little parlay regarding the fights at UFC 309. As you can see from everything we’ve written, there are plenty of fights. 

Everyone must decide what type of bet to put on their slip. When it comes to MMA, some of the top choices include bets on match winners, Asian totals, winning methods, winner and exact rounds, and parlays. Pick your poison. You can tell we already picked ours, and it won’t sting if we were right.