When Jon Jones steps back inside the Octagon next month, he’ll do so as one of the highest-paid athletes in the UFC’s 30-year history.
UFC president Dana White dropped a bombshell announcement last month when he revealed that Francis Ngannou would be exiting the promotion and leaving his heavyweight crown behind. As a result, Jon Jones will make his long-awaited return to challenge for the now-vacant title against No. 1 ranked contender Ciryl Gane. The pair will square off in the UFC 285 headliner on March 4.
On Monday, Jones participated in a Twitter Spaces with Kanpai Pandas and revealed that the number of fights he was previously contracted for remained the same, but he did receive a significant bump in pay ahead of his heavyweight debut.
“I had eight fights left on my contract, I just wasn’t happy with my percentages. We just bumped up the pay and pretty much picked up where we left off with my commitment to the UFC. Hopefully I can get through all eight fights, that’s a lot of fighting at 35-years-old. We’ll see.”
Jon Jones Will Be Ready for a Fight with Heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic
Waiting in the wings will be former UFC champion and general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic. Jones was heavily rumored to fight Miocic in December 2022, but the fight never materialized. With Ngannou out of the picture and the heavyweight division once again on the move, Miocic is eyeing a potential showdown with the winner of UFC 285’s main event next month.
“I’ve got my sights on Stipe Miocic,” Jones said. “I think it just means the most. There’s a lot of guys out there, but for me, personally, for my legacy, to defeat the greatest heavyweight of all-time, it just means the most to me.
“As far as how soon, hopefully I get out of this fight with no serious injuries, but I’d let to get [back] out there as soon as possible. My goal is anywhere from two to three fights depending on how it looks.”
Jones’ last appearance inside the Octagon came at UFC 247 in February 2020. ‘Bones’ successfully defended his light heavyweight title against Dominick Reyes via a unanimous decision. Six months later, Jones announced that he was vacating the title and would be preparing for a move to the heavyweight division. More than three years later, fans will finally see what Jones can accomplish in the promotion’s heaviest weight class.
“One of the hardest things was not being able to lose my shape while still trying to pack on 40 pounds,” Jones explained. “I think when the fans see me, they’ll be surprised that I still look a lot like I used to — [although] my shoulders are a lot more broader, I freaking gained a whole bunch of a**, unfortunately — but just trying to keep that shape and doing it the right way” (h/t MMA Fighting).