The most decorated UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champions meet on Saturday. Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are making headlines UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York in what could be a final game for both men.
Jones and Miocic aren't sure if they want to retire, but both men have confirmed that Saturday's fight could be their last. Jones is making his first title defense as heavyweight champion while Miocic looks to regain the belt he lost to Francis Ngannou more than three years ago.
The co-main event on Saturday is action-packed. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler return their fight for the 2021 barnburner. Chandler hopes to avenge his previous loss to Oliveira, which was for the vacant belt, and push for another title shot.
With so much going on Saturday night, let's take a closer look at the full fight card with the latest odds before getting into our staff's predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities.
UFC 309 fight card, odds
- Jon Jones -625 vs. Stipe Miocic +450, heavyweight title
- Charles Oliveira -265 vs. Michael Chandler +215, lightweights
- Bo Nickal -1200 vs. Paul Craig +750, middleweight
- Karine Silva -265 vs. Viviane Araujo +215, women's flyweight
- Mauricio Luffy -900 vs. James Llontop +625, 165 pound catchweight
- Marcus McGhee -130 vs. Jonathan Martinez +110, bantamweights
- Eryk Anders -130 vs. Chris Weidman +110, middleweight
- Damon Jackson -165 vs. Jim Miller +140, lightweights
- Marcin Tybura -130 vs. Jhonata Diniz +110, heavyweights
- Mickey Gall -135 vs. Raminz Brahimaj +115, welterweights
- Oban Elliot -220 vs. Basil Hafez +180, welterweights
- Veronica Hardy -150 vs. Eduarda Moura +125, women's flyweight
With such a massive main event coming up, the CBS Sports team continued with predictions and tips for the main card. Here are your favorites: Brent Brookhouse (martial arts journalist), Brian Campbell (martial arts journalist), Shakiel Mahjouri (writer), Michael Mormile (producer), and Brandon Wise (senior editor).
UFC 309 Tips, Predictions
| Jones (c) vs. Miocic | Jones | Jones | Jones | Jones | Jones |
| Oliveira vs. Chandler | Oliveira | Oliveira | Oliveira | Oliveira | Chandler |
| Nickal vs. Craig | Nickal | Nickal | Nickal | Nickal | Nickal |
| Araujo versus Silva | Silva | Silva | Silva | Silva | Silva |
| Luffy vs. Llontop | Luffy | Luffy | Luffy | Luffy | Luffy |
Jones vs. Miocic
Campbell: Jones is 37, coming off a 20-month layoff and returning to the ring for the first time since tearing his pectoral tendon. Miocic, on the other hand, is 42 years old, hasn't fought in almost four years and hasn't won a fight since 2020. Both sentences confirm that anything can happen when these two aging legends finally face off after their originally scheduled fight was postponed a year. The difference lies in Jones' ability to win close fights under almost any circumstance. Despite Miocic's punching power and the stubbornness of his takedown defense, Jones is a more dynamic striker and has trained with two of the best ground athletes in all of combat sports: Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson and jiu-jitsu legend Gordon Ryan. Assuming Jones can take the fight to the ground, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him finish it there, as he did in his heavyweight debut in 2023 against Cyril Gane.
Brookhouse: Miocic hasn't won a fight since August 2020 and hasn't fought since his knockout of Francis Ngannou in March 2021. That's not exactly an ideal current resume for a contender, even one who has had as great a career as Miocic. Jones' activity level isn't much better as he has only fought once since his controversial win over Dominick Reyes in February 2020, but in that fight he easily defeated Ciryl Gane to become champion. Miocic's age and inactivity make it difficult to pick him over someone as dynamic as Jones. It may not be a pretty fight, but it would be shocking if it didn't end with Jones' hand raised.
Mahjouri: I will support Miocic. Not because I favor him or want to see Jones lose, but because I love upsetting the applecart. Honestly, it would be hilarious to see Miocic throw the UFC heavyweight title over his shoulder and walk into a burning building to save an old lady. He told my CBS Sports colleague Brian Campbell that he had already booked a shift at the fire department. Unfortunately, I don't often get my way. Miocic benefited from being an athletic, mobile heavyweight who fought more one-dimensional opponents. Now he is 42 years old and fighting against an arguably more athletic and skilled opponent. Jones is the more sophisticated striker and gripper with better experience in big games. He has youth on his side and an extensive arsenal of tools. Miocic will be heavier on fight night. Power is the last thing to lose and he is always conditioned. It's possible that Miocic's size advantage closes the skill gap, but it's hard to beat Jones. My guess is that Jones will finish early or last the entire five laps.
Oliveira vs. Chandler
Campbell: At 35, this could be Oliveira's last chance to put himself in position to fight for the lightweight title he held for 17 months a few years ago after losing two of his last three. But Chandler is now 38 years old and is entering not only having lost three of his last four matches, but also after an unnecessary two-year break that only happened because Conor McGregor was physically unable to make it to their scheduled fight to appear. Expect this rematch to be very similar to the vacant title fight between them from 2021, when Oliveira recovered from an early exit and finished off Chandler. Both fighters are a little older but just as ready to get the action done. It's just that Oliveira has even more options to finish the fight.
Mahjouri: You can ask these guys to take on more responsibility, but you can't ask them to be boring. Their dynamism is the key to what makes them elite. Oliveira knocked out Chandler in a fight for the vacant lightweight title in 2021. It's easy to forget how this fight ended when you consider the goal and individual developments afterward. Oliveira stopped Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in an exciting title fight; Meanwhile, Chandler only beat Tony Ferguson, while he lost to both of Oliveira's challengers. Chandler soundly defeated Oliveira in Round 1 of their fight, scoring two points 10-8. He also survived Oliveira chasing a rear-naked choke on his back. Both fighters are offensively aggressive and prone to finishing, meaning a win for either candidate is in play. Chandler told CBS Sports that he will be more careful in his fight for the UFC title. Oliveira wants to be the fearless “Do Bronx” of old. I think Oliveira's weapons are a little stronger and he's a little less prone to getting taken down. So I'll be on his side during the break.
Nickal vs. Craig
Campbell: In the two years since Nickal first debuted on “Dana White's Contender Series,” the Penn State wrestling legend has won five fights (including three official UFC bouts) but has yet to be fully tested, esp on your feet. Don't expect this to be the true test the 28-year-old has been waiting for, as despite being a submission wizard, Craig takes far too much damage to set up his submission grappling attempts. Craig has lost four of his last five games, including three by stoppage, and is likely to be dropped if he loses again. But the Scotland native simply doesn't have the punching power to make Nickal pay, and he lacks the wrestling game to stop his opponent from doing what he does best. Nickal, a heavy betting favorite, should survive and advance as he continues to move toward a top-15 finish at 185 pounds.
Who will win UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now for in-depth picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is over $1,500 up with his UFC main card picks and find out.