UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones loves 12-6 elbows, despite the technique being the reason he has a loss on his professional record.

The 12-6 elbow will be fair game as New York has adopted the new MMA Unified Rules, which allows the previously barred strike. Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) puts his UFC heavyweight title on the line against former champ Stipe Miocic in the main event at Madison Square Garden, and will have another tool at his disposal.

Jones was infamously disqualified in the first round without warning by referee Steve Mazzagatti in December 2009 for using multiple 12-6 elbows against Matt Hamill. “Bones” was otherwise dominating the fight up to that point. The DQ loss is the lone blemish on Jones’ professional record.

At UFC 309, everything will change as Jones revealed he has been preparing to unleash the now-legal technique against Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC)

“It just makes me wish that that disqualification was overturned,” Jones told Kevin Iole. “That’s the biggest feeling that I have once I learned that the rule is no more. On the other hand, I accept the move more than ever now, and I’ve been training extensively on different 12-6 elbow attacks.

“It’s funny because it’s been such a big no-no move, and so you train yourself not to go there. Now, to be able to use that strike – I mean, it’s a very devastating strike. It just opens up so many more options, both on the feet and in the top position. I’m excited to hopefully be one of the first UFC athletes to legally display it at Madison Square Garden.”

The 12-6 elbow ban was lifted by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports in July. UFC Fight Night 246 on Nov. 2 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was the first event to implement the new MMA Unified Rules, and a couple of fighters took advantage.

Jones intends to ensure he can land a straight up-and-down elbow or two at UFC 309.

“In this next fight, I feel like I will be putting myself in some really great positions to land the technique, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Jones said.

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are about to step into the squared circle for what could be the most-watched boxing match in combat sports history.

That’s right, with their fight airing live on Netflix with no extra charge to its over 280 million subscribers, it’s well within the realm of possibility that Paul vs. Tyson shatters modern viewership records. At the very least, when you head to the water cooler (do people still do this?) on Monday, there’s a strong chance your co-workers will have heard about “that crazy Tyson fight” that happened Friday night.

With all of that said… who exactly is this fight for?

Paul has made the most of his transition from social media huckster to influencer boxer, scoring high-profile fights with everyone from Nate Diaz to Tommy Fury to Anderson Silva to Mike Perry, and has now caught in his net one of the most popular boxers ever, “Iron” Mike Tyson.

Yes, Tyson is back and competing in a professionally sanctioned bout for the first time in over 19 years (it should be noted that he stepped into the ring with Roy Jones Jr. for an exhibition bout in 2020). He and Paul were first scheduled to fight on July 20, but health problems on Tyson’s side postponed the bout until Nov. 15, and in between those dates, Tyson actually celebrated his 58th birthday. That’s 31 years older than Paul.

Again… what are we doing here?

MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee, Jed Meshew, and Damon Martin scratched their noggins to figure out the best and healthiest way to approach Paul vs. Tyson if you’re one of the many planning to tune in even if you don’t know why.

1. Paint the best possible outcome for Friday.

Martin: A compelling fight that doesn’t look like a 27-year-old fighting a 58-year-old.

That’s setting a dramatically low bar but the reality is no one knows for certain what to expect in this fight. At his best, Jake Paul is a prospect with some good boxing skills and huge knockout power but at his worst, he’s still largely a novice without any real experience against top level opponents.

Then there’s Tyson, who in his prime was arguably the most feared fighter in the history of combat sports but that feels like a lifetime ago with his last win coming all the way back in 2003. Jake Paul was six years old at the time.

So what exactly defines compelling?

Let’s be honest the fear factor for this fight almost entirely surrounds Tyson because it’s just not realistic to expect somebody nearing 60 to still be fighting at a high level. Perhaps he’s really found the fountain of youth, and if he can manage to knock Paul down even once or just find a way to stick around for all eight rounds without taking too much damage, that’s a win in my book.

Meshew: Everyone has fun and no one gets seriously injured.

With over 20 years of combat sports fandom, I’ve seen a lot of stuff, and in general, I try not to clutch my pearls about most things. At the end of the day, this is two consenting adults and who am I to tell them how to live their lives? But this one is really on the boundary of acceptability for me, and truth be told, it’s beyond.

Sure, Jake Paul isn’t within three zip codes of where Mike Tyson was in his prime, but Tyson ain’t in his prime. In fact, he’s about three decades away from it. This is akin to Hall of Fame football players trying to put the pads back on to play in the XFL — absurd. Tyson had a freaking medical emergency this year! He is damn near a senior citizen and even the training footage they’re releasing to show “Mike’s still got it” is concerning. No doubt, Tyson looks like he’s in terrific shape for 58, but he very much looks like an old man.

There is no doubt about the outcome of this “fight.” The only doubt is in how bad it will be. The best case scenario is that both Tyson and Paul realize what this is and have a glorified sparring session for eight rounds where all the money is made, egos are stroked, and we can get out of there without feeling gross.

Lee: Speak for yourselves, fellas, if I’m going to dream up a best-case scenario for this one, I’m dreaming big:

Tyson knocks the absolute stuffing out of Paul.

Nothing personal against “The Problem Child” (though there are plenty of reasons to dislike Paul, so pick one), and Tyson is certainly no saint himself, but Tyson reaching down deep to land one last punch of doom on Paul’s chin would create unfathomable ripples in the timeline. This wouldn’t just be the biggest story in boxing of 2024, it would arguably be the biggest story in all of sports if Tyson put Paul down for the count.

I get it. Ideally, neither man ends up getting seriously injured for the sake of a freakshow fight that’s more a test of Netflix’s live streaming capabilities than an athletic contest that anyone should be taking seriously. But this is a pro bout. This is a fight. And, even at damn near 60, this is the always unpredictable Mike Tyson.

The heavyweight legend’s 2020 spar with Roy Jones was unexpectedly charming, and if we see something akin to that, I can’t imagine too many fans complaining. They’ll also forget about it by Saturday, once UFC 309 pre-show programming begins.

If Tyson somehow destroys Paul, though? Let’s just say Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will have a tough act to follow.

2. And what’s the worst possible outcome?

Lee: I’ll leave the more morbid predictions for my colleagues, but I think one of the worst things that could happen is that Friday’s event is such a big hit that we get a flood of Netflix combat sports specials in the same vein.

Look how saturated the streaming network has become with comedy specials. Even if you’re a fan of this kind of content, which is uploaded to Netflix on a regular basis, I imagine there are plenty of subscribers rolling their eyes at the slew of standups bombarding their screens whenever they log in.

Now instead of those, imagine execs trying to tap into the novelty bout market. More Jake Paul vs. [insert legend here] fights. More over-the-hill boxers being thrust into the ring with the promise of a massive payday. Complete nonsense fights featuring influencers with millions of followers named, like, “X44Reggie” or something. All at the touch of a button.

On the other hand, if this leads to a partnership between Netflix and Fight Circus, then I take it all back.

Meshew: Death. I do not say that lightly, but it’s a realistic possibility.

In combat sports, fighters court death constantly. They are always talking about “being willing to die in the ring” and in general there’s an understanding that the profession of fighting is trading in health for money. Usually that manifests in terrible, long-term consequences (which Tyson already shows signs of) but fairly regularly it also results directly in death. Literally hundreds of people have died in the ring, averaging 13 deaths per year in boxing. And in most instances, those are matchups between equally capable fighters in their relative youth. That is not at all what’s going on here.

Because high-profile deaths in combat sports are rare (and thankfully non-existent in the UFC) most fans do not really think of it. But the reason they are less frequent is because there was a concerted effort to make this incredibly dangerous sport as safe as possible. Putting a near 60-year-old guy in their with a man 30 years his junior who hits incredibly hard, that’s tempting fate. And the combat sports gods are bastards. You never want to tempt them.

There’s an old adage that “you don’t play boxing” and I cannot help but think that’s exactly what is happening on Friday. A bunch of people with absolutely no moral imperative other than making as much money as possible are playing a dangerous game. I sincerely hope it doesn’t come back in a terrible, tragic way.

Martin: Tyson being carried out of the ring.

Not to be overdramatic, but it’s impossible not to think about a scenario like that when a 58-year-old fighter is competing professionally for the first time in nearly two decades. Yes, Tyson is undergoing medical testing to get cleared to fight, but let’s not forget this is the same Texas commission that sanctioned Dada 5000 to face Kimbo Slice back in 2016 and then afterwards Dada 5000 suffered cardiac arrest and kidney failure before being rushed to the hospital following his collapse in the cage.

Yes, Tyson looks like he’s in phenomenal shape for his age and he still hits like a truck but this isn’t the same guy who went scorched earth on Michael Spinks in 1988 and, truth be told, he’s not even the same person who effectively spent eight rounds sparring with Roy Jones Jr. back in 2020.

No amount of testing can guarantee that Tyson won’t take an overhand right from Paul, end up face-down on the canvas, causing every single concern about this fight even happening in the first place to come bubbling up to the surface. Obviously, nobody wants to see Tyson get seriously hurt, but if you’re looking for the worst possible outcome, that’s it.

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3. Should Jake Paul win, what’s next for “The Problem Child?”

Martin: It’s so hard to figure out what exactly Paul really wants for his boxing career.

One minute he’s calling out Conor McGregor and Alex Pereira and the next he’s spouting off about becoming a world champion in the next couple of years. Here’s a hint: You’re not going to win a legitimate title beating MMA superstars in the boxing ring.

But for all his talk about legitimacy, Paul has shown us time and time again that he’s much more about spectacle than sport — and that’s totally OK, by the way. His couple of fights against journeymen boxers generated little interest, so Paul has to recognize that as much as he brings as an “A” side, people aren’t going to care to watch unless there’s at least a somewhat compelling “B” side.

So the answer here is Paul finally faces KSI.

Outside of fighting his brother Logan Paul, that’s pretty much the final boss when it comes to the influencer boxing scene. KSI has the name, he has the draw, and there’s so much disdain between him and Paul that it’s actually a fight worth watching.

Lee: It’s MMA time, baby!

PFL just delivered a couple of highly anticipated fights in the Francis Ngannou return and Cris Cyborg taking on Larissa Pacheco, plus they’re making this year’s championship event a free show with a subscription to ESPN+ as opposed to the usual pay-per-view price. While they’re in the habit of giving the people what they want, it’s time to throw Paul in the SmartCage.

Who he’ll fight, I don’t rightly know. And I’m not sure it matters. Paul, on his own, is not going to break attendance or viewership records, but he will bring a demographic to PFL that they’re sorely in need of. Not to get all “how do you do, fellow kids?” here, but I don’t know if the league has been much of an attraction for the younger generation of fight fans and that’s still a group Paul has some pull with.

Selfishly, I’m curious to see how Paul’s work ethic, youth, and resource advantages translate to MMA. This business loves a good heel, and if Paul is even half decent at grappling or throwing the occasional teep, he could be a legitimate feather in PFL’s cap.

It’s by no means a lock that he ever crosses over, but I’m excited at the possibility of Paul throwing caution to the wind and seeing how far he can go with six months of sprawl training.

Meshew: I think Damon is right, it’s probably KSI.

I do not care how often Paul says it, the man is not concerned with legacy. I’m not even sure he can define what that means, or what he means by it. Paul is interested almost exclusively in attention and money, and he probably only cares about the attention insofar as it leads to more money (and to be clear, that’s not a knock on him, it is an extremely pragmatic away to approach life).

Paul dabbled in the “real boxer” matchups, but it seems he’s realized that there was simply not much of a market for watching him beat scrubs no one has ever heard of before. Jake Paul fans do not care about him boxing (they care about being entertained and that’s not entertaining) and MMA fans (the other big base of viewership for these things) don’t care if he’s not fighting someone they know.

Which leads us back to KSI. These two are the godfathers of the influencer boxing scene and a fight between them has been talked about for years. At this point, it’s delayed so long it’s maybe past due already. Do the thing boys and then we can see what happens when the logical endpoint of everything finally arrives.

The New Orleans Saints may be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, but at least they can count on continued prayers from Pope Francis.

The pope – or at least someone in the Vatican communications office – has been inadvertently rooting for the Saints since Nov. 1 – All Saints Day – even as the team lost yet another game and fired their coach.

Thanks to an automatic function on X, formerly Twitter, the team’s fleur-de-lis emoji is automatically added to the hashtag #Saints. That has given the impression that the @Pontifex account on X, which has 18.4 million followers and happens to be tweeting a lot about saints lately, was talking about the team when in fact the pope was extolling how actual saints “are precious pearls and are always living and relevant.”

The comments sections on the handful of papal #Saint tweets in recent days have blown up, with more than twice as many comments as normal @Pontifex tweets.

“They need more than what you can do Pope Francis. They need to consult the big guy,” wrote @DaBears_26 on Nov. 2.

In the past week, Saints fans have lamented yet another loss at last-place Carolina, which extended the Saints’ losing streak to seven games — their longest since 1999 — and brought their record to 2-7. And they have welcomed the firing of Coach Dennis Allen on Monday.

“Even the Pope is excited we fired Dennis Allen,” wrote @JonoBarnes.

Some referred to the unwanted distinction earned last week by Derek Carr: He became the first NFL quarterback to lose to 31 teams. While others, non-Saints fans, asked the pope for some equal time.

“Any chance the @HoustonTexans can catch a blessing too?” asked @DustyLeeCook.

The Rev. Matthew Schneider, a prominent voice on Catholic Twitter, has been trying for five years to get the Vatican communications office to fix the #Saints fleur-de-lis emoji issue, apparently in vain.

Back in 2019, he posted a comment on another @Pontifex saintly tweet that automatically referenced the team, urging the Vatican communications office to check the hashtags before posting. He did so again this past week, this time directing his request to X.

“It was cute the first time but it’s becoming tiresome,” he wrote.

The @Pontifex account, which opened in 2012, is the official English-language Twitter handle of the pope. The pope tweets in other languages in variations of the handle.

The Vatican spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment late Thursday. For the record, Francis is a lifelong fan of the San Lorenzo soccer club of his native Buenos Aires.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will fight in less than two weeks as part of their Netflix boxing special scheduled for Friday, Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium and give us an answer to the question that surfaced just as soon as this spectacle was announced nearly eight months ago.

Can a 58-year-old version of Tyson returning from a health issue last May knock out Paul, the 27-year-old YouTube star who built a lucrative career as a boxer and promoter through a series of exhibition bouts in recent years? With custom fight rules and the unknown of what Tyson might look like four years removed from his last appearance in the ring for a match, speculation about a winner has been all over the place.

Now, as the fight is finally approaching, more boxing experts, former champions and former Tyson opponents are offering their thoughts on who might win this made-for-streaming fight. Here are some of the latest picks and predictions ahead of Tyson vs. Paul on Nov. 15, as well as current odds and how to watch:

Bob Arum, Top Rank CEO: Paul wins

TAMPA, FLORIDA – JULY 20: Jake Paul looks on during their cruiserweight fight against Mike Perry (not pictured) at Amalie Arena on July 20, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

“A 58-year-old guy, no matter how good they were, no matter how athletic they were, are not gonna be able to fight,” Arum said in an interview with Johnny Boy Boxing last month. “You can’t throw punches like you’re supposed to, you can’t do a lot of things. I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him relatively no chance. You lose that muscle memory as you get older.”

Lennox Lewis: Tyson wins

Former US boxer Mike Tyson watches a sparring session with Cameroonian-French mixed martial arts star and boxer Francis Ngannou (not pictured) at Ngannou’s gym in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 26, 2023. Mixed martial arts star Francis Ngannou will have heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in his corner when he faces World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in the boxing ring in Saudi Arabia on October 28. (Photo by Ian Maule / AFP) (Photo by IAN MAULE/AFP via Getty Images)

“Mike Tyson’s gonna win. He’s not that old. Don’t take him too softly. We’re one year apart,” Lewis told FOX 29 in Philadelphia during an interview last April. “You can fight somebody like that and do well, because the person you’re fighting is not a true fighter and there’s a hundred things that you’ve forgotten that he’s learning.”

Roy Jones Jr.: Tyson has the edge

Nov 28, 2020; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Mike Tyson and Roy Jones, Jr. pose with their belts after a split draw during a heavyweight exhibition boxing bout for the WBC Frontline Belt at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Scarnici/Handout Photo via USA TODAY Sports

“It’s a young lion and an old lion. It’s a great situation for them,” Jones said in an interview with FightHype in September. “It gives Jake a chance with Mike being as old as he is. I think it’s a great opportunity for both fighters but I still think Mike is gonna be a little bit too much for Jake.”

Buster Douglas: Easiest win of Tyson’s career

“It’s not going to be good for Jake,” Douglas said in an interview with Gambling Zone in June. “I don’t think there will be much of a boxing career left for Paul afterwards. I think once Mike gets rid of him, that’s it for his boxing career. The best scenario for Paul is to just last the entire fight, say he went the distance with Mike Tyson.”

Sports Betting Dime: Paul by decision

Jake Paul def. Mike Perry – Paul vs. Perry Boxing

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“If this goes into the later rounds, Paul’s combination of youth and cardio will be the difference. Look for Paul to utilize his jab and footwork to keep Tyson on the outside. The heavier 14-oz gloves and two-minute rounds will also likely work against Iron Mike, potentially sapping his explosiveness in the second half of the fight.”

Tyson vs. Paul: Time, date and streaming

Date: Friday, Nov. 15
Time: Ring walk not yet announced (full event begins at 8 p.m. ET)
TV: Not available on TV
Streaming: Netflix

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson odds

As of Nov. 6, odds from BetMGM give Paul the edge against Tyson.

Moneyline: Paul (-250) | Tyson (+190)

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight card

Super lightweight title bout: Katie Taylor vs. Amando Serrano
Middleweight: Neeraj Goyat vs. Whindersson Nunes
Welterweight: Mario “El Azteca” Barrios vs. Abel Ramos
Super Middleweight: Shadasia Green vs. Melinda Watpool
Lightweight: Lucas Bahdi vs. Armando Casamonica
Featherweight: Bruce Carrington vs. Dana Coolwell

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EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Alexandr Romanov beat Rodrigo Nascimento with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Take a look inside the fight with Romanov, who got back in the win column after a June submission loss to Jailton Almeida.

Alexandr Romanov def. Rodrigo Nascimento

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Alexandr Romanov (red gloves) fights Rodrigo Nascimento (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Result: Alexandr Romanov def. Rodrigo Nascimento via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Romanov (18-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Nascimento (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Key stats: Romanov landed six takedowns and controlled 3 seconds more than half the fight.

Romanov on the fight’s key moment

“(My submission) was very close, but was very slippery. I lost my grip, but it doesn’t matter. I have shown today that for me, it doesn’t matter: I can (win standing up), too.”

Romanov on his cardio questions

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Alexandr Romanov (red gloves) fights Rodrigo Nascimento (blue gloves) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“The biggest question every time for my side from all the people is that I have a big problem with my cardio. You’re wrong, guys. Now I’m in great shape because I work with a super crazy professional team. I have crazy support in my house – my kids, my family, my wife, my parents, and if a man gives all his life in the hands of God, nothing can stop him.”

Romanov on what he wants next

Derrick Lewis

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“I hope (I get a new contract), because I feel that I am just in the beginning of my biggest jump to the top 10. For me, it doesn’t matter who will be my next opponent. (I still want to fight Derrick Lewis after we were rebooked) because for me, it’s a very interesting match because he’s this a name. He’s a massive, strong guy and for me, that’s going to be a very good test.”

To hear more from Romanov, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

The UFC’s return to the Middle East had some highlight reel-worthy moments, without question, and now they’re available in super slow motion.

Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) made history when he became the first to knock out former champ Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC). Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) crushed the jaw of former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker (27-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) and probably leapfrogged his way to a title shot. Shara Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) landed an absurd double spinning backfist to beat Armen Petrosyan (9-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC).

But the fight between Mateusz Rebecki (20-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Myktybek Orolbai (13-2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on the prelims was a deserving Fight of the Night winner that left both of their faces a bloody mess. To see it in slow motion so close to Halloween is slightly terrifying.

Check out all the highlights in super-slow motion in the UFC 308 “Fight Motion” video highlights above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.