Jon Jones might not give himself the chance to break the consecutive Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight title defense record (three).
The all-time great former Light Heavyweight kingpin turned “Baddest Man on the Planet” has one target left in mind then it might be time to sail off into the sunset. Jones originally hoped to clash with former two-time Heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, before capturing gold against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 this past March 2023 via first-round guillotine submission (watch highlights).
Before his three-year hiatus-ending comeback, “Bones” noted how Gane and Miocic were his last goals to overcome after Francis Ngannou fell out of the picture. While sorting out the Miocic match up, Jones has doubled downed on this likely being his swan song in mixed martial arts (MMA).
“I feel like the Stipe fight will be plenty for me,” Jones told Fox Sports Australia (h/t MMA Fighting). “I really don’t feel like I have much to prove after beating Stipe Miocic. I’ve been in the game a long time, and in fighter years, I’m an old guy.
“I’ve got some small injuries and I just really want to be around — I want to be around for my family, I want to be around for my kids, I want to be able to play with my kids and have a good head on my shoulders, and joints that work,” he concluded. “So yeah, I can see it coming to an end really soon.”
The Ngannou fight will forever be “one that got away” if it never comes to fruition. With Ngannou still a free agent, Jones admits that if by some miracle “The Predator” and UFC could work something out in the future, he’d want to make the megafight a reality.
“I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining not retiring,” Jones said. “I think a Francis fight would come with some serious revenue, and that would make it worth my while. Francis is a former champion, he’s pretty damn popular [in the U.S.], and across the world. It would bring in a lot of money, and for that, I’d be willing to come back.”