Big winner by KO of the main fight of UFC 309 via a spinning kick that extinguished the liver of heavyweight legend Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones took the opportunity after his title defense to cite one of his inspirations : Bruce Lee.
A Bruce Lee-style finish. He repeated his back kick for hours and hours. For more than seven months, throughout his preparation, and until the final moments before entering the cage, Jon Jones meticulously worked on this spinning liver kick.
A profitable choice which gave him the victory by KO against Stipe Miocic, in the main fight of UFC 309. And if the spinning kick is indeed one of the favorite weapons of the 37-year-old fighter, and has been since several years, this is the very first time that he managed to knock out an opponent with it.
Belted at the waist, in the deafening arena of Maddison Square Garden, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, Jones paid tribute after his victory to some of his inspirations: firstly a Donald Trump newly elected 47th President of the United States- United, present at the edge of the cage, as usual… but also the legendary actor of martial arts films, Bruce Lee.
“Bruce Lee said 'I don't fear the one who worked 1000 punches once, I fear the one who worked a single punch 1000 times'', explained the heavyweight champion who said he was “very proud” of this knockout. “I had worked on it a lot, for 7 months at a rate of 3 sessions per week,” he revealed at a press conference.
A repeated blow “three hours a week for months”
With a long work of sappe kick sent in the first round, “Bones” once again showed himself to be a fine strategist to send a 42-year-old Miocic to retirement. Showing all his arsenal of technique during these 15 minutes of fight (started brilliantly with a well-felt o-soto gari in the first round), Jones was finally able to capitalize on a blow which was at the heart of his preparation.
“My taekwondo coach came to make me repeat this same move three hours a week, for months,” said the American who also reopened the door for a confrontation against the dangerous Tom Aspinall, “unless a huge compensation”, he finally conditioned…. the ball is in Dana White's court.
