Jon Jones sets Octogon return as Merab Dvalishvili dethrones Sean O’Malley
Jon Jones will fight Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight title on November 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York; Jones hasn't fought for well over a year since winning the title against Ciryl Gane; Merab Dvalishvili dethroned Sean O’Malley to become UFC bantamweight champion
Sunday 15 September 2024 09:55, UK
Jon Jones set his long-awaited return to action for November 16 as Merab Dvalishvili dethroned Sean O’Malley to become the UFC bantamweight champion.
Heavyweight champion Jones has a reputation as the greatest fighter on the UFC roster.
He will return to fight Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden in New York.
- Britain's Haggerty knocked out by stunning Superlek elbow at ONE 168
- 'Hands of stone!' | Huge MMA KO in ONE Championship
- Listen to all episodes of the MMA Club podcast here
It will be Jones' first defence of the UFC heavyweight title he won in March of 2023 with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane.
That was his first fight in three years and his first in the heavyweight division. Then Jones said: "This is the biggest opportunity of my life, to beat the heavyweight GOAT [greatest of all time]. I am going to give it everything I have got. I am not only going to beat Stipe Miocic, I am going to finish Stipe Miocic!"
Trending
- Papers: Gravenberch set to stay at Liverpool amid Real Madrid links
- Nunez and Elliott strike as Liverpool battle past Southampton
- Gabriel Jesus is back! Hat-trick for Arsenal striker sinks Palace
- Man Utd latest: Rashford has not travelled for Carabao Cup tie - reports
- Transfer Centre LIVE! 'Saudi could offer Rashford way out of Man Utd'
- Southampton 1-2 Liverpool - free match highlights and rate the players
- Perez leaves Red Bull seat as 2025 exit confirmed
- Football news: Mbappe scores as Real Madrid win Intercontinental Cup
- Vasseur: Convincing Hamilton to join Ferrari not difficult at all
- Nervy Aspinall comes through Worlds opener as Kist hits nine-darter
Jones was due to fight Miocic last year but was ruled out due to a pectoral injury.
The fight was announced at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the venue that staged O'Malley vs Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili engineered an upset to win the UFC bantamweight champions, controlling O'Malley for much of the bout to win a unanimous decision.
He took it on scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.
In the chief support bout Valentina Shevchenko became a flyweight champion once again, beating Alexa Grasso, taking every round for every judge.
This was their third fight after Grasso claimed the championship in their first and their second ended in a draw.
Stream ONE Championship and more combat sports action on Sky Sports with NOW
