.@DanaWhite
says Jon Jones is “ready to go” and lining up either Francis
Ngannou or Stipe Miocic. pic.twitter.com/dFyMtEHsDk— Jim Rome (@jimrome)
June 27, 2022
According to UFC president Dana White, it’s only a matter of time
before Jon Jones returns to the Octagon.
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During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” White said Jones is
prepared to make his first heavyweight foray with the UFC in the
coming months, but the promotion still needs to settle on an
opponent for the New York native. The former light heavyweight
champion hasn’t competed in the Las Vegas-based promotion since
defending the 205-pound belt in a decision win over Dominick Reyes
at UFC 247 in February 2020.
“Jon Jones is ready to go,” White said. “We’re just waiting for an
opponent. It’s either going to be Francis [Ngannou] depending on
how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.”
Ngannou recently
provided an update on his recovery from knee surgery and hinted
that he could be ready as soon as December 2022, though some time
next year still seems more likely.
A Jones vs. Stipe bout has been
rumored for months. The UFC initially targeted the fight for
July before Miocic revealed that he would prefer September. If
Jones and Miocic fought, an interim title would most likely be at
stake.
Jones will turn 35 in July, and White, for one, will be curious to
see how “Bones” fares after such a long layoff.
“It’s very interesting because I’m a huge believer in ring rust,”
White said. “But for all the negative things you could say about
Jon Jones and his personal life and things that have happened, he’s
the best. He’s definitely the best of all time.”