There’s nothing like fight night at the Garden; at least in theory.

UFC He returns to the Empire State on Saturday with UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Headlining the promotion’s annual stop in New York City is Jon Jones, who will defend his heavyweight belt for the first time against former champion Stipe Miocic.

On paper, pitting Jones against Miocic (the greatest fighter of all time versus the greatest heavyweight of all time) sets up one of the most exciting fights in UFC history. However, the challenge introduced failed to captivate audiences in the way fans had come to expect from a main event at the Garden.

History is happening at Madison Square Garden

Rising from the rubble of the original Penn Station, in its fourth iteration, Madison Square Garden stands tall among the giants of the Manhattan skyline. Passionate fans meticulously put aside their paychecks just to get into the building, stars flee Hollywood to fill the celebrity row, and athletes dream of one day hearing their names called in the “World’s Most Famous Arena.” But why?

The promise of a miracle on 34th Street.

Its striking circular exterior houses the center of sports history. All eyes turned to the center of the universe, where the fans cheered louder and the stakes were higher. Often athletes are afraid of the insurmountable spotlight. But sometimes pressure creates diamonds.

Over the decades, the Garden has built an unrivaled reputation for hosting some of the most memorable moments in sport and serving as a museum that continues to collect. An impressive performance in today’s Coliseum can turn an athlete into an icon, etching his name in the history books alongside the legends who came before.

The Garden, the proud home of the Knicks and Rangers, boasts banners commemorating championship seasons and retired numbers. The mythos of Madison Square extends far beyond the hardwood and ice, and many of its finest scenes are painted on canvas.

MSG is the paradise of combat sports

“Every fighter in the world believes he hasn’t made it until he fights in Madison Square Garden,” said boxing historian and analyst Steve Farhood. Athletic In 2020.

Boxing built the Garden, both figuratively and literally. Not only has the arena hosted matches for over a century, but its third version was paid for and built by boxing promoter Tex Rickard.

During those 100-plus years, Madison Square Garden hosted some of the most important fights of all time. In 1951, Sugar Ray Robinson met Jake “The Bronx Bull” LaMotta downtown for their final encounter, known as the “Valentine’s Day Massacre”. Twenty years later, the Garden hosted the “Fight of the Century” between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.

Bahçe, whose foundation is based on boxing, has become the center of all kinds of combat sports. In 1985, MSG provided the backdrop for the first WrestleMania, perhaps the most influential event in professional wrestling history. When New York finally lifts its ban on mixed martial arts 2016MSG wasted no time in launching the UFC.

Built for UFC Garden

“It’s all over! History has been made!” shouted commentator Mike Goldberg after the UFC 205 main event in 2016.

Conor McGregor – in his first UFC event at MSG – became the first two-division champion in the history of the sport by knocking out Eddie Alvarez in the second round. He then apologized to “absolutely no one” to end one of the most famous nights in the war.

Following McGregor’s impressive first impression, the Garden opened its doors to the UFC nearly every November, and the arena became a flagship stop on the promotion’s calendar. The UFC packs a punch with every visit to Madison Square Garden, stacking its cards with champions, fan favorites and future Hall of Famers for every occasion.

The magical setting on 34th Street, combined with relentless star power, has produced a never-ending string of highlights that will force even the UFC’s strongest competitor to reconsider.

Georges St. in the Garden Pierre returned after a four-year absence to reclaim the middleweight championship against Michael Bisping. At the Garden, Jorge Masvidal faced Nate Diaz in the opener of their BMF title fight. At the Garden, Alex Pereira captured the middleweight belt after traveling across sports to knock out opponent Israel Adesanya.

Each card the UFC has brought to New York City has set a precedent for excellence and spectacle, building on fight folklore at MSG. In its current form, where did the three highest gates (the total amount of money paid for entry) in the history of the Garden come from? UFC events.

Jones vs. Miocic will not follow past events

In theory, Saturday’s main event should have the same impact as the classics that came before it. No matter how troubling UFC President Dana White’s insistence on the matter may be, Jones is the best UFC fighter of all time. Other than a questionable DQ loss in 2009, the 37-year-old is undefeated (27-1) with the most title defenses ever (13) and hasn’t fought without a belt since. 2011.

Jones, who dominated the light heavyweight division for more than a decade, moved up to heavyweight last year and captured the gold medal after defeating Ciryl Gane in the first round.

In the other corner, Miocic has built a legendary resume of his own. At 20-4, Miocic is a two-time heavyweight champion and holds the UFC division records for most heavyweight title defenses (4), consecutive title defenses (3), and most finishes in title fights (4).

In a recent article XJones explained that he sees the matchup as a chance to build on his legacy.

“My journey is not dictated by hype or outside opinions; it’s about creating a legacy that speaks for itself, step by step. “I’m here to do what’s right for my career and my legacy, with a clear and unwavering vision.”

There’s only one problem; Miocic is 42 years old.

While Miocic is the best heavyweight ever, he hasn’t had a fight in which he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou in over three years. Jones, currently the -675 favorite on DraftKings, has nothing to prove with a win against Miocic.

Jones should fight someone else

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the UFC 309 main event is that the worthy opponent will be watching from cageside.

It is worth noting that the fight between Jones and Miocic was supposed to take place at the Garden a year ago, but the champion had to withdraw due to a problem. hurt. While both fighters await the promotion’s return to the Big Apple, a 31-year-old from the United Kingdom has emerged as the division’s most dominant fighter.

In the champion’s absence, Tom Aspinall captured the interim gold medal with a strong first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich on the card where Jones and Miocic had originally targeted to fight.

Typically, an interim belt serves as a ticket to cash in when the champion returns to action. However, he recently told a combat sports reporter that Jones has continually given up on the idea of ​​fighting Aspinall. Kevin Iole“(Aspinall) couldn’t prove anything. He didn’t do anything.”

Besides winning – and to defend – interim belt, Aspinall has won more than half of the current top ten heavyweights, his second-most in the promotion with eight since 2020.

Aspinall (15-3) has suffered three knockouts in the first minutes of his last three fights. During his 18-fight career, not only has he never seen a judge’s scorecard, but he has also failed to even reach the third round of a fight. The average fight time is 2:02, an all-time UFC record.

“A sitting UFC champion is actively refusing to unify his title against the interim champion,” he said Shaheen Al-Shatti From The War Without a Crown. “Maybe this is all a study (if so, congratulations), but if not? Do you want to talk about legacy? “This is the kind of nonsense people will remember.”

Madison Square Garden was shaped by historic fights with meaningful stakes that harnessed the power to propel a fighter to immortality. However, the main event of UFC 309 feels woefully inconsequential, with the champion pushing the illusion of a vintage fight while his real opponent sits on the sidelines.