It’s been 15 months since Jon Jones was last in the Octagon.
You’d have to go back to Jan. 3, 2015, to be exact, to find the last time Jones fought in the UFC. That was when he defended his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Daniel Cormier and won by unanimous decision.
Fast-forward to Saturday, and Jones is back with hopes of reclaiming his title. It won’t be against Cormier, however, who was originally supposed to defend the light heavyweight belt against Jones but bowed out due to a torn ligament in his leg.
Jones instead will be fighting Ovince Saint Preux, the No. 6 contender in the light heavyweight division for the interim light heavyweight title on Saturday at UFC 197 in Las Vegas. Both fighters weighed in at 205 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Here’s a look at the tale of the tape.
The man simply known as OSP has had his ups and downs during the last couple of years. He defeated Rafael Cavalcante at UFC Fight Night 82 in February, but that came after falling short to Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 73.
All in all, Saint Preux has won three of his last four fights, including a shocking first-round knockout in 34 seconds over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night 56 in November 2014.
“People don’t understand,” Saint Preux said, per MMA Weekly. “I’m telling you, I’m going to make the most of this opportunity tomorrow night.”
This is the first time Saint Preux is fighting for the light heavyweight crown, so the lights have never been brighter for the fighter from Knoxville, Tennessee. Nevertheless, whether it’s 15 months or 15 weeks, it’s still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world standing opposite of OSP on Saturday night.
Jones confessed to USA Today’s Martin Rogers about his marijuana addition, the UFC stripped him of his light heavyweight title, he was involved in a hit-and-run in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that led to an 18-month probation sentence and he was arrested for drag racing while on probation all within 15 months.
The youngest UFC champion in history swears he’s a changed man, and he seemed like it while on stage talking with UFC commentator Mike Goldberg during Friday’s weigh-in.
“This feels absolutely unbelievable. This is awesome,” Jones said, per MMA Weekly. “I missed this so much. I promise to give you guys the best performance ever tomorrow night.”
Whether Jones is a changed man remains to be seen. Once he shows he can put his past troubles behind him, though, there’s no limit to what he can do in the Octagon. He was already the best fighter in the world before, and now has a chance to reclaim his throne on Saturday.
Saint Preux is the fresher of the two fighters in terms of conditioning, but it’s difficult to go against the reach and athleticism of the former champion. Jones is on a mission to show he hasn’t lost a step, and he’ll do that by winning on Saturday.
Also, rumor has it UFC 200 needs a new main event. If Jones wins, and Cormier is healthy by then, UFC 200 could get Jones-Cormier II for all the marbles.
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