Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic finally have a date and a location, but the details of the fight should come as no surprise.

All signs pointed to a showdown between Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in November at Madison Square Garden, and on Saturday the promoter made it official. The heavyweight title fight will be the main event of UFC 309 on November 16 in New York.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the title fight to Complex on Friday. UFC broadcast partner ESPN also shared the news on Saturday.

Jones and Miocic have been dating for over a year, as the two were scheduled to face off at UFC 295 in November. The fight was canceled after Jones tore a pectoral muscle and required surgery. Miocic, with the support of the UFC, decided to wait to face Jones.

Instead of the undisputed title fight, the UFC booked Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich for an interim title. Aspinall finished Spivac with punches in the first round and then defended the title in July against Curtis Blaydes, whom he finished with punches in exactly one minute.

UFC CEO Dana White categorically insisted on the simultaneous title lead and stuck to booking the Jones vs. Miocic fight despite the inactivity of both fighters.

Jones has not competed since winning the vacant heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane in March 2023. The fight was his first since February 2020. As for Miocic, he has not competed since losing the title to Francis Ngannou in March 2021.

Additionally, the UFC 309 fight card includes:

• Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for the heavyweight title
• Michael Chandler vs Charles Oliveira
• Eryk Anders vs Chris Weidman
• Viviane Araujo vs Karine Silva
• Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov
• Veronica Hardy vs Eduarda Moura
• Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
• Ramiz Brahimaj vs Mickey Gall

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.