Jon Jones isn’t committing to retirement from the UFC.
Former two-division UFC champion Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) hasn’t competed since retaining his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in November 2024. He opted to hang up his gloves over unifying his belt with Tom Aspinall, who was later promoted to undisputed champion.
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However, once the UFC announced their White House event, Jones re-entered the drug-testing pool in hopes of competing on that card. Dana White insisted Jones was never in consideration for the event, which left a frustrated Jones contemplating getting out of his UFC contract.
Jones is currently focusing on pushing Gable Steveson’s career, but it appears he has slightly changed his tune towards the UFC.
“When it comes to me actually fighting anyone, I just keep the door open,” Jones told Ring Magazine. “I’m still in the UFC’s drug testing pool. I get drug tested, blood tested all the time. I’m living vicariously through my buddy Gable Steveson right now. I tell everybody that being backstage, being around the fans, seeing that passion, being in the training gym, I get to do it all over again through Gable, and so I’m giving him my absolute best, teaching him everything I know about the sport and that’s been really fulfilling for me. I think for a lot of fans as well, they’re like, ‘Jon, when are you going to come back?’ and those same fans are like, ‘Hey, welcome back, Coach Jones.’
“I’m getting my itch. I feel like I’m giving fans their itch, but I’m just doing it with a younger generation fighter, and I feel like that’s what life is all about. As we grow, as we learn, and as we progress, it’s important to have our own proteges, and that’s what I’m doing now. Honestly, it’s fulfilling – not as fulfilling as being in the ring or the octagon, but it is scratching that itch. I can genuinely say I’m happy right now. The door is open. Like I said, I’m still in that drug-testing pool. I’m just allowing time to fly by by focusing on somebody else. If I get that calling from maybe the higher powers, then I’m going to have to answer that call. But right now, I feel like I’m in the right place, which is serving someone else.”
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Oleksandr Usyk’s advisor named Jones and Deontay Wilder as possible retirement fights in ring, but Jones shut that down. Jones says he doesn’t need to fight, but never say never.
“As long as I’m in the drug-testing pool, the UFC are contractually obligated to offer me a few fights a year,” Jones said. “I haven’t heard anything from them in a while. I just take it as it comes. Right now, my main focus is just being a good dad, being a good family man, staying on top of these endorsements, staying on top of making sure Gable is improving, and that’s just where life is at right now. When I get offered a fight, that’s going to be great. We’ll see how I feel when that time comes, but things are great. It was good to see Dana (White) the other day (at UFC 329). We laughed. We took a photo together.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ex-champ Jon Jones not ruling out UFC return: ‘I keep the door open’
