The heavyweights and lightweights in New York

Jon Jones defeated Stipe Miocic via TKO using a spinning back kick and punches at 4:29 of the third round during UFC 309. This heavyweight title fight occurred at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024, when the total gate reached $16,673,954 and the attendance hit 20,200. Jones, once one of the greatest light heavyweights of all time, defended his heavyweight title against the Cleveland fighter. In the lightweight division, Charles Oliveira beat Michael Chandler via unanimous decision. The three judges scored the five round fight 49 – 46, 49 – 46, and 49 – 45. This rematch at the World’s Most Famous Arena drew massive interest because fans waited for the former lightweight champion to face Chandler. I find the heavy financial gate of $16,673,954 proves the immense draw of these title matchups in New York City.

Nickal and the card results

The middleweight division saw Bo Nickal defeat Paul Craig via unanimous decision. The judges handed down scores of 30 – 27, 30 – 27, and 30 – 27 after three rounds of action. Viviane Araujo also secured a victory in the women’s flyweight division against Karine Silva. She won the bout via unanimous decision with scores of 29 – 28, 29 – 28, and 29 – 28. Mauricio Ruffy defeated James Llontop at a catchweight of 166.2 lb through a unanimous decision. The three round fight ended with scores of 29 – 28, 29 – 28, and 29 – 28. On the preliminary card, Jim Miller used a guillotine choke to defeat Damon Jackson in the first round at 2:44. Marcus McGhee beat Jonathan Martinez via unanimous decision with scores of 29 – 28, 29 – 28, and 29 – 28. David Onama also secured a decision win over Roberto Romero with scores of 30 – 27, 30 – 27, and 30 – 27. David Onama holds three straight wins in the UFC. Marcin Tybura defeated Jhonata Diniz via TKO due to a doctor stoppage in the second round at 5:00. Oban Elliott earned a knockout victory over Bassil Hafez in the third round at 0:40 using punches, showing his skills to the New York crowd. Ramiz Brahimaj, a native of The Bronx, finished Mickey Gall with a first round knockout at 2:55 using punches. Brahimaj returned from a two-year absence following major neck issues earlier this year to win. Eduarda Moura stopped the three fight winning streak of Veronica Hardy via unanimous decision. The fight judges recorded scores of 30 – 27, 29 – 28, and 29 – 28. You should watch the upcoming development of fighters like Oban Elliott, who earned three straight wins to begin his UFC career.

Betting outlook for the divisions

The landscape of the UFC changed significantly following the November 2024 results. Tom Aspinall became the undisputed heavyweight champion after Jon Jones retired. The eye poke in the Aspinall fight against Ciryl Gane remains a frustrating outcome for those following the heavyweight title. In the lightweight division, Ilia Topuria snatched the title from Charles Oliveira in June 2025. The betting markets for the end of 2026 show various favorites.

Khamzat Chimaev sits at -150 for the middleweight title, while Ilia Topuria holds -200 odds for the lightweight strap. For the featherweight division, Alexander Volkanovski carries +170 odds. In the heavyweight division, Tom Aspinall holds the favorite position at -180. Petr Yan holds +100 odds in the bantamweight division, while Joshua Van carries +300 odds for the flyweight title. Mackenzie Dern sits at +125 for the strawweight division. Islam Makhachev holds -300 odds for the welterweight title. Magomed Ankalaev holds +700 odds, and Jiri Prochazka sits at +600. Kamaru Usman holds +300, and Jack Della Maddalena carries +2000. Dricus Du Plessis carries +1600 odds, and Nassourdine Imavov sits at +300. Sean Strickland sits at +2500, and Caio Borralho holds +3000. I find the sheer volatility of these betting lines across the different divisions quite staggering when you look at how championship ownership changed throughout the previous year across all the major weight classes in the promotion during 2025. Will the division leaders change again before the year concludes?