Tom Aspinall
Interim UFC heavyweight champion

Image source, Getty Images

I think Jon Jones is scared to lose and I understand why - he's one of the best to ever do it.

I agree with what Jones said, that if he beat me it would do nothing for his legacy.

But I don’t want to fight him for his legacy, I want to fight him for the UFC title. I’m not bothered about his legacy, that’s his business.

It wasn’t meant to be this way really, with everyone asking Jon about me - it's Jon and Stipe Miocic's fight week at UFC 309.

It’s the media who keep dragging it in - asking Jon if he will fight me and he is not happy about it, evidently.

He could have easily killed it for himself. He could have killed the topic of me being the interim champion and just said "I’m focusing on Stipe this week", but he didn’t.

Jon made this about him but it’s not about Jon, it’s about the title.

• Read the rest of Aspinall's column here.

Is it worth reminding you that this is scheduled for five rounds even though it's not a title fight or the main event? I've gone and done it now anyway.

After a couple of minutes working each other out, Oliveira is first to spring into action. The Brazilian secures the takedown and attempts to pass Chandler's guard.

Chandler doesn't allow Oliveira to advance but does spend the rest of the round on his back and takes minimal damage.

Positives for both to take from that first five minutes but the round goes to Oliveira.

Image source, Getty Images

Bruce Buffer has done his thing and we are set for the rematch between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.

How will it go?

Thumbs up for Oliveira to win or thumbs down for Chandler.

Cutting Paul Craig would be very harsh.

Paul has been a mainstay in the UFC since 2016 and was knocking on the door of a light-heavyweight title shot just last year.

He's so active and takes on any challenge, sometimes to his detriment, but the UFC love that kind of attitude.

I'd love to see Craig on that London Fight Night card in March.

Paul Battison
BBC Sport journalist at Madison Square Garden

Michael Chandler might be the home fighter but you'll struggle to find an MMA fan who doesn't respect Charles Oliveira - the Brazilian is being cheered just as much as his American opponent here.

We haven't had a finish for five fights now, when veteran Jim Miller submitted Damon Jackson on the prelims.

Can Oliveira or Chandler break the streak?

Image source, Getty Images

Fewer than five months after the UFC implemented a new glove design, they have reverted back to their original style of gloves for UFC 309 and beyond.

The UFC introduced a new version of their gloves at UFC 302 in June in an effort to reduce eye pokes, cuts and hand injuries.

Jon Jones, who was due to fight for the first time since the change, said the decision was a "major relief" for him after trying on the new gloves a few weeks ago.

"They were very uncomfortable for me and I was actually really stressed thinking about how I'm going into fight week wearing these gloves that I don't even want to train in?" Jones said.

The gloves had not had a major redesign since becoming mandatory at UFC 14 in 1997.

UFC president Dana White confirmed at Thursday's news conference that "the new gloves are now the old gloves", confirming that they will stick with the original design for all future events.

Alexander Lewis on X: "My MMA 'Mount Rushmore' - Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, Khabib, George St Pierre."

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Chandler has not fought since November 2022, so it's going to be interesting to see how sharp he is tonight.

The former Bellator lightweight champion joined the UFC in 2021, earning a statement knockout win against Dan Hooker on debut, but he has lost three of his four following trips to the octagon.

Chandler was due to face former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor at UFC 303 in June but the Irishman pulled out due to a toe injury.

That bout has not been rescheduled and therefore Chandler has moved on to Oliveira as he looks to put himself in the lightweight title conversation.

It is unclear when or if McGregor will next compete in the UFC and he is currently facing rape charges in a civil case in Ireland.

Image source, Getty Images

At Friday's weigh-ins, fighters stood on the same scales which were used for boxing icon Muhammad Ali's famous bout with Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in 1974.

The scales were brought out of a museum especially for the event, which the UFC have described as hosting the biggest heavyweight bout in the promotion's history.

Image source, Getty Images

Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler are up next with their rematch serving as the chief support.

Oliveira is ranked number two in the lightweight division with Chandler sitting at number seven.

The pair met for the vacant belt at UFC 262 with Oliveira coming out on top and the Brazilian made two defences before losing it to current champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.

Oliveira and Chandler tend to deliver fireworks and tonight should be no different, especially with Makhachev hinting the winner could be next in line for a shot.

"Chandler vs Olivera 2 is very interesting fight to watch. Get an impressive win and champ might grant you an audience next," Makhachev wrote on X, external.

Bo Nickal has won all seven of his fights since making his MMA debut in 2022. It's the first time he has been taken the distance.

It's five defeats in six for Paul Craig.

Paul Battison
BBC Sport journalist at Madison Square Garden

The crowd are heavily booing that fight which turned into a bit of a stalemate, with chants of "over-rated" being directed at American Bo Nickal.

The American got the decision win but fans are far from happy with that performance.

We haven't had a finish on the main card yet and I think the crowd are craving some action.

In other news, I just heard a strange noise above me and looked up to find a drone flying around the arena.

Image source, Getty Images

We've been waiting to see former light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and ex heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in the octagon for a while.

The pair were originally slated to meet in November 2023 but Jones, who makes the first defence of his heavyweight title tonight, had to withdraw after suffering a pectoral injury.

England's Tom Aspinall (more on him as the night unfolds) stepped in on 17 days notice to meet to beat Sergei Pavlovich for the interim belt and save UFC 295.

Tonight, Jones fights for just the second time since 2020, while Miocic competes for the first time since losing the heavyweight strap to Francis Ngannou in 2021.

Jones and Miocic were estimated to make their walk to the octagon after 05:00 GMT and with only 10 minutes to go until then and the co-main event still to come, I think we could be looking at closer to 06:00.

Coral Barry
BBC Sport combat sports editor

Ah shoot.

Thanks for getting in touch Otis. You've made my night.

I was promised an ice cream by my editor if I got a response this early on.

I'll take a Solero please!