It was enough with three rounds. Then Jon Jones had knocked out Stipe Miocic with a kick that the opponent did not recover from. The American finished with a few hard hits to the head before Miocic had to give up. Jon Jones thus retains the heavyweight title in the MMA organization UFC.
The 37-year-old's title defense was the highlight of the evening at the big UFC gala at Madison Square Garden in New York, in the presence of the USA's future president Donald Trump, who was on site with, among others, his close ally Elon Musk and Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has been nominated to become the Minister of Social Affairs.
Jones celebrated his victory by dancing as robotically as Trump used to do at his election rallies and finished by pointing at the future president, who responded with a thumbs up. Then Jon Jones jumped out of the octagon and shook hands with Trump.
I want to extend a big, big thank you to you, President Donald Trump, for being here tonight, said Jones, according to AP, while the audience chanted "USA, USA, USA".
I am proud to be a great American champion, continued Jones.
Trump was met earlier in the evening by a standing ovation when he made his entrance at Madison Square Garden.
Jon "Bones" Jones is one of the biggest in UFC sports and has had several title matches against the Swedish fighter Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson in the 2010s.
