Dana White reveals when UFC fans can expect to see Jon Jones back inside the Octagon
Dana White offered an update on when fans can expect to see Jon Jones back inside the Octagon.
Sort of…
After sitting on the sidelines for nearly three years, ‘Bones’ returned to action at UFC 285 and quickly dispatched No. 1 ranked Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant heavyweight title. Jones has not defended the title since. In the weeks leading up to his anticipated scrap with former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic in November 2023, Jones suffered a pectoral tear, forcing him out of the fight.
In the time since, the UFC has established an interim heavyweight champion in Tom Aspinall, but Jones has remained adamant that he will fight Miocic before potentially settling some business with the UK-based star.
When exactly Jones returns for his superfight with Miocic remains a mystery. Recently, both fighters have indicated that their rebooked bout will go down this November when the UFC heads back to Madison Square Garden.
Asked for a more official update during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, White revealed that we would see Jones “soon,” and added that the champ’s return would happen sometime in the summer or the fall.
“He’s doing well,” White told Jim Rome when asked for an update on Jones. “We’ll see him soon. We’ll either see him in the summer or the fall.”
Essentially, White is telling us that ‘Bones’ will fight sometime before 2024 comes to a close. When and where is anyone’s guess.
Tom Aspinall Happy to Hold Down the Heavyweight Fort While Jon Jones heals up
In the meantime, Tom Aspinall will become the first fighter in more than a decade to defend an interim belt when he puts his temporary title on the line against Curtis Blaydes in Manchester on July 27.
Aspinall lobbied hard for a fight with Jones before opting to move on, recognizing that his dream fight would likely never happen with ‘Bones’ already toying with the idea of retirement following his next fight.
Still, that hasn’t stopped ‘Bones’ from running off at the mouth on social media, discrediting Aspinall’s status as a UFC champion and his star power outside of the UK.
