UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ octagon return remains uncertain.
His most recent fight was a dominant stoppage win over Stipe Miocic in November, his first title defense at UFC 309. Since then, fans have been eager for a unification bout against interim champion Tom Aspinall.
While UFC CEO Dana White continues to insist the fight is planned, Jones has been relatively quiet about his own timeline and intentions.
Recently, Jones responded to fan questions about his fighting future on Twitter while visiting Thailand.
Addressing a fan regarding the possibility of being stripped of his title, Jones stated, “Stripped? Lol, do I come across as the type of person who cares about things like that?”
Jones further indicated that he informed the UFC of his future plans “a long time ago” but expressed confusion as to why the promotion has not yet shared this information with the public.
“Y’all barking up the wrong tree,” Jones wrote. “I told the UFC my plans a long time ago. I have no clue why they haven’t shared them with you guys yet.”
Jones returned from a multi-year layoff after vacating the light heavyweight title, successfully capturing the heavyweight belt at UFC 285 in March 2023 by submitting Ciryl Gane in the first round.
Having competed only once since then, it remains to be seen if the anticipated fight with Aspinall will happen and what the trajectory of the UFC’s heavyweight division will be in 2025 and beyond.
Marcus Blakely