Jon Jones sends Stipe Miocic into retirement with decisive UFC heavyweight win in front of Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Jones had just knocked the breath out of the heavyweight challenger he pummeled into retirement when UFC's greatest fighter broke out a herky-jerky dance inside the cage and dedicated the groove to President-elect Donald Trump.

As a defeated Stipe Miocic gamely tried to recover on all fours, Jones posed and played to the packed crowd on top of the cage, and even had a gift for his favorite fan in the front row — Trump for a few moments clutched the UFC heavyweight title.

Jones and Trump shook hands and capped a fight night charged with politics as much as punches inside a raucous Madison Square Garden where “USA!” chants echoed through the arena.

“I’m proud to be a great American champion,” Jones said inside the cage.

Jones finished Miocic in the fight — and for good — with a stunning spinning back kick to the ribs and used a series of blows to the head in the third round to get the TKO win and retain the UFC heavyweight championship in front of Trump and a slew of potential administration members that helped fill the Garden.

Jones dominated at UFC's fourth-highest grossing event of all time — topping $16.6 million — with Elon Musk, picked by Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, and Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in his incoming administration also in the house.

“I want to say a big, big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight,” Jones said to a roaring ovation that bled into a “USA! USA!” chant.

Hours earlier, Trump walked out to a rousing ovation in front of 20,200 fans just before the start of the pay-per-view card and seemed to bask in the thrill of the fighters who throughout the night gave him props — including Jones.

Widely considered the best fighter in the world, Jones (28-1-0; 1 NC) was the aggressor from the start and landed a series of shots to Miocic's head in the first round. Jones bloodied Miocic under his right eye and showed he had plenty of fight left in the tank.

British heavyweight Tom Aspinall looms as the next challenger for Jones. Aspinall won a fight for the interim heavyweight title last November in the Garden. UFC CEO Dana White had promised Aspinall, who chatted with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, would challenge the winner of the main event in a unification bout.

“As far as my future in the octagon, I decided that maybe I will not retire,” Jones said. “I know that we have options.”

The 42-year-old Miocic (20-5) failed in his bid to win the heavyweight crown for a third time and the Ohio firefighter who fought for the first time since March 2021 immediately announced his retirement.

“I'm done,” Miocic said. “I'm hanging ‘em up. I’m retiring. Thank God."

His last fight was in front of the next president.

White captioned a photo he posted on social media “the boys” that featured him with Trump, Kid Rock and Musk. Trump pumped a fist during an occasional outbreak of “USA! USA!” chants. He was flanked in his front-row seat by White on his right and Musk on his left and politely applauded the fight winners.

UFC fans wore red Trump hats and some waved flags emblazoned with his image during breaks in the action.

In a lightweight bout that made every fan from Kid Rock to Jordan Knight to Anthony Kiedis go wild at the finish in the fifth round, Charles Oliveira beat Michael Chandler via unanimous decision. The fight was a rematch of their May 2021 fight when Charles Oliveira topped Chandler to win the lightweight title. Oliveira staked his claim to another title fight with the win

The fifth round was about as good as it gets inside the octagon highlighted by Chandler dropping Oliveira twice on his back. The 38-year-old Chandler stepped inside the cage for the first time in two years, in large part because he waited for a fight that never materialized with Conor McGregor.

“We've been wondering where you've been, Conor,” Chandler bellowed in the cage. “Come back and beat me if you can.”

McGregor has been sued by a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Dublin hotel in 2018.

Trump is tight with White, a relationship that dates to UFC’s formative years before its rise into a billion-dollar promotion. New Jersey was one of the first states that embraced UFC and White has long credited fights at the Trump Taj Mahal for helping the company grow into a heavyweight in the sports world. White both spoke at Trump’s request at the Republican National Convention and appeared on stage at the election party.

UFC fighters spoke this week in New York with excitement about earning the chance to fight in front of Trump.

“To see Dana up on stage at the election, I feel like that moment just elevated the whole sport,” Jones said. “Americans, people from around the world were like, who’s the bald-headed dude talking? That represents all of us.”

Bo Nickal topped Paul Craig by unanimous decision in a welterweight fight, then crouched to speak to Trump.

“I showed him my golf swing, asked him how it looked,” Nickal said. “He said it needs work.”

Trump threw his arms open when he spotted UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan. Trump and Rogan embraced and shared a few words before the opening bout of the main card.

Trump sat ahead of the election for a three-hour interview on Rogan's podcast. Rogan helped encourage on the podcast some of Trump's false claims about voting, election fraud and his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Rogan endorsed Trump for president.

Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also attended.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Jon Jones, right, kicks Stipe Miocic in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts heavyweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

President-elect Donald Trump watches as Jon Jones reacts after defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, early Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Stipe Miocic, right, punches Jon Jones in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts heavyweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Jon Jones, right, punches Stipe Miocic in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts heavyweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

President-elect Donald Trump greets Jon Jones after he defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, early Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump greets Jon Jones after he defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, early Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump watches as Jon Jones reacts after defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, early Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Jon Jones reacts after defeating Stipe Miocic in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts heavyweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Bo Nickal reacts after defeating Scotland's Paul Craig in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts middleweight title bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Scotland's Paul Craig punches Bo Nickal during a UFC 309 mixed martial arts middleweight title bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Bo Nickal, right, punches Scotland's Paul Craig in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts middleweight title bout, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Brazil's Charles Oliveira reacts after his fight against Michael Chandler as President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, early Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York, with Kid Rock, Dana White and Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York, with Kid Rock, Donald Trump Jr., Dana White and Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President-elect Donald Trump watches as Bo Nickal, facing camera, fights Scotland's Paul Craig at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Michael Chandler with Brazil's Charles Oliveira on his back in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts lightweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Michael Chandler, left, punches Brazil's Charles Oliveira in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts lightweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Brazil's Charles Oliveira reacts after defeating Michael Chandler in a UFC 309 mixed martial arts lightweight title bout, early on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli police said Sunday that they have arrested three suspects after flares were fired at the private residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coastal city of Caesarea.

Authorities said the prime minister and his family were not at the residence when two flares were fired at it overnight, and there were no injuries.

The police did not provide details about the suspects, but officials pointed to domestic political critics of Netanyahu. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the incident and warned against “an escalation of the violence in the public sphere.”

Netanyahu has faced months of mass protests over his handling of the hostage crisis unleashed by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel, which ignited the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Critics blame Netanyahu for the security and intelligence failures that allowed the attack to happen and for not reaching a deal with Hamas to release scores of hostages still held inside Gaza.

A drone launched by Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group struck Netanyahu's Caesarea residence last month, also when he and his family were away.

Find more of AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

A woman shouts slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People shout slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People gather to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People shout slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People shout slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People shout slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman shouts slogans during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)