While the timing of Jon Jones`s next fight remains uncertain, one constant is the unwavering height of his confidence.
The 37-year-old UFC heavyweight champion has been active on social media during his global travels, recently posting hints about his career plans and suggesting the UFC is already aware of his intentions. Jones has not stepped into the cage since successfully defending his title against Stipe Miocic last November and has only competed twice since 2020.
A major question surrounding the future UFC Hall of Famer is whether he will eventually face 32-year-old interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall has consistently called for a unification bout, but Jones has rarely shown mutual interest.
In his latest jab via Instagram Stories, “Bones” shared a video clip depicting a calm dog successfully wrestling a much louder dog to the ground. He added a caption that seemed to reflect his feelings:
What I feel like returning to the UFC after some much-needed downtime.
This video and caption are a clear, albeit not subtle, dig at Aspinall, whom Jones has repeatedly suggested lacks the necessary credentials for a fight against him. Aspinall holds a UFC record of 8-1, having avenged his sole loss to Curtis Blaydes with a dominant performance at UFC 304. This victory also marked Aspinall`s first successful defense of his interim title, bringing his count of heavyweight title defenses to match Jones`s.
Before transitioning to the heavyweight division, Jones reigned over the light heavyweight category for more than ten years, establishing himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time. He captured the vacant heavyweight championship (which became available after Francis Ngannou`s departure) at UFC 285 with a commanding submission victory over Ciryl Gane.
Recently, Aspinall stated on a podcast that he`s “had enough” of pursuing a fight with Jones and is ready to move on to focusing on alternative opponents.
