NEW YORK – After more than 20 months of buildup, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic finally crossed paths in a formal setting in advance of their heavyweight title fight at Thursday’s UFC 309 pre-fight press conference.

After answering questions from the media, reigning champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and former titleholder Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) came face to face for a staredown before what’s being promoted as a historic encounter between two all-time greats.

Jones made it clear during the press conference that things have gotten personal for him thanks tosome previous comments made by Miocic. When they came together to face off, Miocic extended for a handshake that Jones ignored, creating a tense moment before they clash in Saturday’s headliner at Madison Square Garden (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).

Check out the video above to watch the Jones vs. Miocic staredown from the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference.

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

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.