When Jon Jones steps into the cage Saturday at UFC 309, it’ll mark more than 16 years that he’s competed as a professional fighter.

The UFC snagged him within his first year of competition. He fought six times regionally before the promotion came calling. All eight of those bouts occurred between April and July 2008.

One of those fights was against fellow future UFC fighter Parker Porter in Wilmington, Mass., for World Championship Fighting (now Combat FC). Jones, then 20, would sign with the UFC one win later.

Up until now, the only footage that existed in the public forum was a grainy handheld angle from cageside. However, promoter Joe Cavallaro released professional footage of the fight Thursday for all to enjoy – for as long as it lasted.

Ahead of UFC 309, check out the previously unreleased video of Jones vs. Porter in the video above.

Fighters competing at UFC 309 are set to wear older versions of gloves, which were initially replaced by a new design that debuted back in June.

No one was happier than heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Jones returns to action in the main event Saturday night against Stipe Miocic. The bout marks Jones’ first fight since March 2023 so his latest appearance was the first opportunity he had to use the new gloves. It turns out Jones wasn’t a fan of the re-design after receiving a pair of gloves to break in and use in the weeks leading up to his fight in New York.

“I’m really excited about the old gloves,” Jones said during UFC 309 media day. “I got sent a pair of the new gloves several weeks ago. I tried them on and I thought they were tight. I used to fit in XL and in the new glove I had to put on a 3XL. The shape, curving your hands like that, they very uncomfortable for me.

“I was actually really stressed thinking about how I’m going to go into fight week wearing these gloves that I don’t even want to train in.”

The UFC ultimately decided to lessen Jones’ burden after he received a call from UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell to inform him that the old gloves would be employed for his fight against Miocic.

While promotion officials previously confirmed to MMA Fighting that the old gloves would return for UFC 309, it’s unclear if there are plans to return to the new gloves for future events.

Either way, Jones was happy to find out he’d still be using the same gloves that the UFC employed throughout his whole career.

“I got a phone call recently, Hunter [Campbell] said, ‘Everyone on this card are veterans, why put a bunch of vets in the new gloves? Let’s give you guys all what you’re used to,’” Jones ssif.

“It was a major relief to my coach Brandon [Gibson], who wraps my hands. It was a major relief to me as well.”

UFC CEO Dana White has been good friends with Mike Tyson for a long time and is concerned for his health ahead of his return to the boxing ring.

Friday, Tyson (50-6) will step through the ropes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in an eight-round professional bout, which serves as the main event of the first live sporting event to stream on Netflix.

The matchup has drawn criticism due to the age difference, as Tyson, who is 58, will square off with a much younger Paul (10-1), who is 27. When asked about the fight, White refrained from talking down on the fight and instead offered concerns about Tyson’s health.

“I will not say anything bad about this fight because I love Mike Tyson,” White said on “The Jim Rome Show.” “The only thing that I hope is that Mike comes out of this fight healthy.

“… I just hope he does. At 58 years old, I mean, I’m 55, and obviously, I’ve never been the level of athlete that Mike Tyson is, but 27 vs. 58? It’s hard to consistently work out at that age just for health purposes and not get hurt. To train for something like this? It’s just – I love Mike. I hope he makes a bunch of money on Friday, and I hope he comes out healthy.”

Tyson was last in action four years ago in an exhibition boxing bout against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. It was a fight in which clearly both fighters were not trying to hurt each other that resulted in a draw. Tyson’s last professional bout was in June 2005 against Kevin McBride. Tyson lost the fight by TKO in the sixth round.

In the late 1980s, Tyson became a legendary force in the world of boxing as the WBC and IBF heavyweight champion. He was a crossover superstar who created viral moments way before the existence of social media. However, the days of Tyson’s prime in the ring are well behind him, and White understands why it would be difficult to turn down a lucrative offer to fight Paul.

“When you’ve accomplished what Mike Tyson has accomplished, and that type of money is offered to you, it’s hard to not,” White said. “It’s about Mike having money issues or anything like that. Mike does fine. Mike does well, but when you have that type of money waved in front of you – I’ve told this story, it’s been told a million times. When Mike was going to fight before, I said, ‘Mike, don’t do this.’ So, I put him on Shark Week. I get a deal done for him to do Shark Week. He’s like, ‘Oh you care about me? I’ve been fighting since I was 12, but you want to throw me in the water with sharks? You’re an idiot.’ And I can’t disagree with him. He’s absolutely right.

“… At the end of the day, it’s none of our business, it’s Mike Tyson’s business. He’s a grown man, he does what he wants to do, and I love him and I just want the best for him.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Paul vs. Tyson.

Mike Tyson may be 58 years old but he looks absolutely shredded just a day away from his fight against Jake Paul in a special boxing event airing live on Netflix.

During the official weigh-ins Thursday, Tyson hit the scale looking like he really put in a hard training camp to get ready for his first professional fight in nearly 20 years. There’s no word on how much Tyson weighed because the weigh-ins were closed to the public and the media with Paul’s company Most Valuable Promotions responsible for releasing the info, per the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

See weigh-in photos of the headliners below.

In the days leading up to the fight, Tyson has stayed rather stoic while insisting that he’s just interested in getting back in the ring rather than going through any further promotional bluster. Now he sits just over 24 hours away from throwing down with Paul in a special eight-round fight.

Meanwhile, Paul also looked like he was in great shape as he moves up to the heavyweight division for the chance to face a legend in Tyson.

Paul often joked during his training camp about the amount of weight he was packing on for the fight against Tyson.

Now with the official weigh-ins completed, Paul and Tyson face off one last time at the ceremonial weigh-ins, which are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson is looking in great shape for his boxing fight against Jake Paul.

At 58, Tyson stepped on the scale Thursday morning in Irving, Texas, to record his official weight for his boxing bout against Paul, which takes place Friday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The fight streams live on Netflix.

Check out this photo of Tyson on the scale Thursday morning in Texas:

Mike doesn’t look 58 years old pic.twitter.com/H2DWnBUnzp

— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) November 14, 2024

The fight between Tyson and Paul serves as the main event of the first live sporting event to stream on Netflix.

The contest is scheduled for eight, 2-minute rounds, which is a minute shorter than a typical men’s professional boxing bout. There are other rules in place that differ from the norm.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Paul vs. Tyson.