In a new training video posted on the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s page, Jon Jones presented himself as a true heavyweight.
Jones posted on Instagram, “Right now I’m exactly where I need to be, I’m excited to see myself in a few months when things actually start to ramp up. Feeling sharp across the board.”
The last time we saw Jones inside the Octagon was almost 2.5 years ago. In February 2020, he made his last appearance at UFC 247. Jones won the match against Dominick Reyes that evening by a unanimous vote.
Given how closely contested the bout was, many thought a rematch was the obvious next step. However, Jones stunned everyone by giving up the light heavyweight belt six months after his last title defense.
Fans have been anxiously awaiting Jon Jones’ return to competition ever since he revealed he would be making the long-teased switch to heavyweight.
When asked about Jones’ potential comeback to the Octagon, UFC president Dana White said that he would face Francis Ngannou, the current heavyweight champion. He added that Jones could also face Stipe Miocic, a previous champion.
On The Jim Rome Show, White said:
“Jon Jones is ready to go. We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be [Ngannou], depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover, or Stipe Miocic.”
Since losing to Ngannou at UFC 260, Stipe Miocic has not competed for the UFC. Prior to that, the native of Cleveland defeated Daniel Cormier twice in a row as part of their legendary trilogy.
On the other hand, Francis Ngannou hasn’t competed since winning his championship defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Prior to the fight, he engaged in a very public disagreement with the UFC about his contract.
However, he has since been sidelined due to a knee surgery he underwent in March. The heavyweight champion gave a status report on his recovery in June and said he expected to get back into action again in late 2022 or early 2023.
Ngannou told media, “If everything goes well I’ll be ready by the end of the year because it’s going to be nine months. So let’s say late December or early next year.”