Jones, 37, submitted Ciryl Gane in the first round of his most recent UFC appearance in March 2023 to capture the vacant UFC heavyweight title in his divisional debut. Prior to that, Jones was a longtime UFC light heavyweight champion who held the belt under multiple reigns.

UFC 309 and the main event between heavyweight champion Jon Jones and two-time former champ Stipe Miocic has lived in the shadow of Friday's boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. On Saturday, the UFC takes the spotlight in the promotion's return to New York City's Madison Square Garden.

The prelims fight card is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on ESPNEWS and FX. Fans looking to watch can do so through FuboTV, which offers a free trial and $20 off your first month, or DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but does have other promotional offers available.