The UFC billed the struggle as the most important heavyweight bout in historical past however it was Aspinall – who was watching on at octagon-side – who had dominated the narrative throughout struggle week.
Aspinall revealed he had been banned from a information convention and weigh-ins with Jones getting more and more irked by media questions concerning the 31-year-old Briton.
Aspinall received the interim title towards Sergei Pavlovich a yr in the past after damage pressured Jones out of his unique bout with Miocic.
However reasonably than schedule a unification title bout, Jones v Miocic was rebooked.
Miocic, displaying the identical nonchalant power he had through the build-up, seemed relaxed as he made his walkout.
Jones, in the meantime, smiled and high-fived followers as he entered to Jadakiss’ ‘The Champ is Right here’, earlier than coming into the octagon along with his signature cartwheel.
As Bruce Buffer did his introductions, Aspinall received to his toes, earlier than Jones opened the competition with a stinging left hand.
Giant pockets of the gang carrying Croatia flags in help of Miocic roared “Stipe, Stipe” within the early moments, however Jones silenced them with an early takedown.
Jones, who has the second-highest takedown defence in UFC historical past at 95%, dominated the remainder of the spherical, looking for armbars and touchdown quite a lot of elbows.
He continued to strain his opponent within the second spherical, hurting Miocic with a physique kick and touchdown a knee from the clinch, earlier than the previous champion responded with a trademark straight proper.
A straight left jab adopted by a brief proper hand left Miocic with a reduce under his proper eye halfway by means of the struggle, earlier than the defining second got here.
With Miocic backed up towards the cage, Jones unleashed a crushing spinning again kick to the physique which dropped the challenger, earlier than the referee stepped in to finish the competition.
Jones celebrated by dancing within the centre of the octagon, earlier than heading over to greet Trump, handing the president-elect his title.
This was the twenty eighth victory of Jones’ profession, along with his sole defeat being a disqualification towards Matt Hamill in 2009 for utilizing unlawful elbows – a transfer which might be authorized underneath right this moment’s guidelines.
“It is like combating towards the Terminator,” mentioned Jones of Miocic.
“Very, very discouraging to hit any person that is not reacting to it. However that physique shot, regardless of how powerful you’re, the liver’s the liver.”
Miocic, who didn’t symbolically take off his gloves as retiring fighters normally do, paid tribute to Jones.
“I simply did not do what I used to be suppose to do. Congratulations to him. He did what he was speculated to and he received. Solely want one of the best for him,” mentioned Miocic.
