Jon Jones credits Hollywood legend for UFC 309 finishing move

Tim Bissell

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Publish Date: 11/20/2024

Jon Jones did what was expected of him in the main event of UFC 309 this past Saturday. The 37-year-old former UFC light heavyweight champion defended his heavyweight strap for the first time with an emphatic third round TKO over Stipe Miocic.

Jones looked comfortable throughout the UFC 309 main event, peppering Miocic with strikes from range and avoiding all the big shots the former champ could throw at him. In the early rounds Jones tested Miocic's body with snap kicks. In the third he delivered a spinning kick direct to Miocic's liver. That dropped the 42-year-old instantly and brought about the TKO victory (the 11th such victory of 'Bones' career). Since the win Jones has talked a lot about his finishing shot and revealed a surprising inspiration behind the spinning kick.

Jones revealed that Hollywood legend Bruce Lee served as inspiration for the kick that would give him his first ever UFC heavyweight title defense.

How did Bruce Lee inspire Jon Jones' finish over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309?

Jon Jones says Bruce Lee's philosophy on kicks led to the fight ending TKO at UFC 309.

Bruce Lee and Jon Jones aren't an obvious pairing when you think of the style of martial arts both men are known for. However, according to Jones, Lee's philosophy around his kicking game served as important inspiration going into his fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

"Bruce Lee says that he doesn't fear the man that knows 10,000 kicks, but the man who has worked one kick 10,000 times," said Jones after the fight (ht MMA Knockout). "I put a lot of work in with that spinning back kick, and it's getting faster and more unpredictable. There's really no tell when it's coming."

Jon Jones Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 309

In further post-fight comments Jones continued to explain how the body kick was a crucial part of his team's game plan for the Miocic fight. In the Octagon with Joe Rogan, Jones stated that he wasn't interested in testing out Miocic's chin, which had been shown to be rather sturdy over past contests. Instead, Jones revealed, his team thought they would have more success targeting the body.

"It's a devastating shot," he said of the move that put Miocic down. "I didn't hit Stipe's liver. I hit him on the opposite side. It sends shockwaves to a person's body. It can break a rib. It's just a really powerful shot. So, I'm really proud of landing that shot after so many hours of working it."

Jones' finish padded his record breaking achievements in UFC

Jon Jones improved his UFC record for wins in title fights with this victory over Miocic. His record now stands at 16 wins, three ahead of former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

The win also gave him sole possession of most title defenses in UFC history. His 12 defenses is one ahead of second place Demetrious Johnson.

Jones is also the owner of the record for most UFC title fights, with 17.

His finish over Miocic tied him with Matt Hughes for second most finishes in UFC title fights (8).

The fight also padded Jones record for most total fight time in UFC total fights (4:56:20) and record for longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (20).