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Jon Jones sends Stipe Miocic into retirement with decisive UFC heavyweight victory for Trump
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Jon Jones sends Stipe Miocic into retirement with decisive UFC heavyweight victory for Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Jones had just knocked the breath out of the heavyweight challenger he had retired back then UFC’s greatest fighter broke out a choppy dance in the cage and dedicated the groove to it president-elect Donald Trump.

As a defeated Stipe Miocic tried to valiantly recover on his hands and knees, Jones posed and played for the packed crowd atop the cage, and even had a gift for his favorite fan in the front row – Trump held the UFC heavyweight for a few moments . title.

Jones and Trump shook hands and capped off a night of fighting that was as much politics as it was punches in a raucous Madison Square Garden where “USA!” chants echoed throughout the arena.

“I’m proud to be a great American champion,” Jones said in the cage.

Jones finished Miocic in the fight – and for good – with a stunning spinning back kick to the ribs and used a series of blows to the head in the third round to earn the TKO victory and retain the UFC heavyweight championship for the competition. Trump and a slew of potential board members who helped fill the Garden.

Jones dominated at UFC’s fourth-highest-grossing event of all time — with a top gross of $16.6 million — alongside Elon Musk, Trump’s pick to head a new government Efficiency Department, and Robert Kennedy Jr., the Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. also in-house in his incoming administration.

“I just want to thank President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” Jones said to a thunderous ovation that culminated in a “USA! USA!” sing.

Hours earlier, Trump walked out to a rousing ovation in front of 20,200 fans just before the start of the pay-per-view card and appeared to bask in the excitement of the fighters who gave him props all night long — including Jones.

Widely considered the best fighter in the world, Jones (28-1-0; 1 NC) was the aggressor from the start, landing a series of shots to Miocic’s head in the first round. Jones bloodied Miocic under his right eye and showed he still had plenty of fight left in the tank.

British heavyweight Tom Aspinall looms as the next challenger for Jones. Aspinall won a battle for the interim heavyweight title last November at the Garden. UFC CEO Dana White had promised that Aspinall, who spoke to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, would challenge the main event winner in a unification bout.

“As far as my future in the octagon goes, I’ve decided that I may not retire,” Jones said. “I know we have options.”

The 42-year-old Miocic (20-5) failed in his bid to win the heavyweight crown for a third time and the Ohio firefighter, fighting for the first time since March 2021, immediately announced his retirement.

“I’m done,” Miocic said. ‘I’ll hang them up. I’m retiring. Thank God.”

His last fight was for the next president.

White captioned a photo he posted on social media “the boys” showing him with Trump, Kid Rock and Musk. Trump clenched his fist during an occasional outburst of “USA! USA!” chants. Flanked in his front row by White on his right and Musk on his left, he politely applauded the winners of the fight.

UFC fans wore red Trump hats and some waved flags with his likeness during breaks in the action.

In a lightweight fight that had every fan from Kid Rock to Jordan Knight to Anthony Kiedis going wild at the finish in the fifth round, Charles Oliveira defeated Michael Chandler by unanimous decision. The fight was a rematch of their May 2021 fight when Charles Oliveira defeated Chandler to win the lightweight title. Oliveira staked his claim for a new title fight with the victory

The fifth round was about as good as it gets in the octagon marked by Chandler drops Oliveira twice on his back. The 38-year-old Chandler stepped into the cage for the first time in two years, largely because he was waiting for a fight that would never happen with Conor McGregor.

“We were wondering where you were, Conor,” Chandler roared into the cage. “Come back and beat me if you can.”

McGregor has been sued by a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Dublin hotel in 2018.

Trump has a close bond with White, a relationship that dates back to the early years of UFC before it grew into a multibillion-dollar promotion. New Jersey was one of the first states to embrace UFC, and White has long credited the fights at the Trump Taj Mahal with helping the company become a heavyweight in the sports world. White both spoke at the Republican National Convention at Trump’s request and appeared on stage at the election party.

UFC fighters spoke enthusiastically in New York this week about earning the opportunity to fight for Trump.

“To see Dana on stage at the election, I feel like that moment really galvanized the entire sport,” Jones said. “Americans, people from all over the world were like, who’s the bald guy talking? That represents all of us.”

Bo Nickal defeated Paul Craig by unanimous decision in a welterweight bout and then leaned over to talk to Trump.

“I showed him my golf swing and asked him what it looked like,” Nickal said. “He said it needs work.”

Trump threw open his arms when he saw UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan. Trump and Rogan hugged and shared a few words before the opening match of the main card.

Trump sat for one prior to the election three hour conversation on Rogan’s podcast. Rogan helped encourage some of Trump on the podcast false claims about voting, election fraud and his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Rogan supported Trump for president.

Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also attended.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports