Jon Jones hints at imminent retirement... unless Francis Ngannou returns
Jon Jones 2023
Jon Jones' fight against Stipe Miocic may be the last time fans see him in the octagon.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones revealed that he could only fight one more time in the promotion.
Jones made his heavyweight debut against Cyril Gane at UFC 285 in March, earning a flawless victory in the first round, taking virtually zero damage and earning the Performance of the Night bonus.
Former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is being touted as Jones' next opponent, with the event likely to take place in New York later this year. Miocic is coming off a brutal KO loss to Francis Ngannou, who has since vacated the heavyweight title and the UFC itself after a contract dispute turned ugly.
But at 35 years old, a lifetime of fighting, a family and seemingly shifting priorities, the UFC's top-ranked Pound-for-Pound fighter is not long for the fight game.
"I feel like the Stipe fight will be plenty for me," Jones told
Fox Sports Australia this week.
"I really don't feel like I have much to prove after beating Stipe Miocic. I've been in the game a long time, and in fighter years, I'm an old guy.
"I've got some small injuries and I just really want to be around - I want to be around for my family, I want to be around for my kids, I want to be able to play with my kids and have a good head on my shoulders, and joints that work. So yeah, I can see it coming to an end really soon."
A win over Miocic - who is considered one of the UFC's greatest heavyweights of all time - could certinaly creatve the perfect pretext to Jones riding off into the Albuquerque sunset.
But even Jones admits there is one fighter that could steer him away from retirement: Ngannou.
"I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining not retiring," exclaimed Jones.
"I think a Francis fight would come with some serious revenue, and that would make it worth my while. Francis is a former champion, he's pretty damn popular [in the US], and across the world. It would bring in a lot of money, and for that, I'd be willing to come back."
With Ngannou currently wallowing through the mire of boxing promoters, perhaps a return to the UFC is not out of the question for the Cameroonian behemoth...
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