UFC head honcho Dana White confirmed that Jon Jones is 100% ready to step in inside the octagon. However, White still couldn’t confirm Jones’ opponent yet.
Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is getting close to his blockbuster return after being inactive for more than two years. The former two-time UFC light heavyweight champion was suspended due to some legal controversies caused by alcohol. Jones promised he would overcome his addiction and stay sober, and it looks like he is getting better and better.
Jon Jones was last seen in the octagon in February 2020 when he retained his light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes. After getting suspended, he was stripped off of his title in August 2020. He also had a feud with UFC president Dana White when he demanded a huge amount of money to fight Francis Ngannou.
Finally, Jones is ready to return to the octagon. This time, the 34-year-old will compete in the heavyweight division. UFC president Dana White himself was the one who revealed Jones’ situation during his recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show.
Previously, White planned to give Jones an interim title fight against the former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. This time, White revealed that an immediate title fight against Francis Ngannou is also a possibility.
“Jon Jones is ready to go. We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis [Ngannou] depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.” White said.
Jon Jones’ instant title fight is dependent on Ngannou’s readiness. The Cameroonian champion tore his ligament during a sparring session after defending his title against Cyril Gane earlier this year. ACL injury is known to have a pretty long recovery time, ranging from 6 to 9 months to be fully healed.
Last month, Ngannou shared his progress and likely won’t be able to compete any time soon. In one or two months from now, he can only hope to do a little training like jogging.
“In two or three months, I’ll be happy enough to train, to pick up a little training. Just a little, like jogging. I’m not strong enough to [spar], I think I better just give it enough time to heal up at once, so I don’t have to redo it. Because if I try to force it earlier, I think I might have to redo it, go over it again. So I better give it the time that it takes. I rest a lot, I’m not a pressure guy. I’ll just relax, just know when to do what I have to do, and how to do it properly.” Ngannou said on his Youtube channel.