While seemingly battling some significant demons ahead of his long-fabled UFC return, Jon Jones has now pretty much confirmed that it could be even longer of a wait before fans witness him back in action inside the UFC octagon.
Last fighting in March of 2023, it has now been over a year since Jones has made a return to UFC action. Before that, he was on hiatus for an astonishingly long period of over three years. Jones eventually made his return against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 but has since then been a complete no-show: ducking fights with Stipe Miocic and now Tom Aspinall.
In the latest flurry of obscure drama, Jones made some ‘tweet and deletes’, casually mentioning that he was getting ‘half his finger cut off at the Las Vegas Airport’.
More tweets would follow the very ominous first one, but none that came would even begin to explain the situation or what may or may not have happened.
Jon Jones reports that he’s getting half his finger cut off at an airport?
These posts Jon Jones made last night are confusing to say the least…
#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/5TiZRM8Dzf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 13, 2024
While he has succeeded in solidifying himself as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of our time, Jon Jones has also solidified himself as one of the most controversial. Dana White said many years ago that Jones could have been the Lebron James of our sport.
Now, Jones is more like Allen Iverson. Both are great in their own ways, but one has a much darker past than the other. Jones hasn’t made himself out to be a true role model for the next generation, but he has been real. Jones has been human, and there is something to learn from both his shortcomings and his amazing achievements.
However, all of these “lessons” can’t take away from the fact that Jones hasn’t been there for us. The people have longed to see him compete. To win, to conquer, and also maybe even lose. Yet, ‘Bones’ does not give us these opportunities. He shows up when he wants to show up. Maybe this is just Jon Jones’ world, and we are all living in it.
In the meantime, while Jones posts cryptic tweets about getting half a finger cut off at some airport, the entire MMA world will be waiting. We will be starving, longing for a conclusion to what has been literal years of confusion in the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Things have been rough since Francis Ngannou’s departure, Stipe Miocic’s soft retirement, and Jon Jones’ playing around with fans’ hearts and attention. Will we ever reach a conclusion about the confusion? The world must wait and find out… Hoping that one day, these paid athletes will do their jobs and perform for the fans that have made them rich and well off in the first place.
After all, we regular people don’t have a choice. We can either work or starve, and it’s that simple… Jon Jones won’t starve. And somewhere right now, he’s probably off thinking about himself and his problems instead of his debt and responsibility to the fans who have loved and cherished him along this journey.
The fans just want to see Jon Jones make a decision. Fight or retire. But don’t keep playing with us. Make a decision and stick to it. Will you come back and defend your heavyweight throne, or walk away from it just like you did with your light heavyweight title?