Getty Jon Jones & Joe Rogan
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones could make his anticipated heavyweight debut in December, according to a recent report from Ariel Helwani.
Fans haven’t seen “Bones” compete inside the Octagon since February 2020 when he defended his 205-pound strap against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. Jones went on to vacate the championship that summer, announcing that he’d be fighting at heavyweight next.
Fast forward two years and Bones still hasn’t fought in the cage north of light heavyweight. Well, that could change by the end of the year.
As per Helwani, the UFC is currently in talks with Jones to fight at UFC 282 on December 10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. “The MMA Hour” host tweeted that his sources confirmed Bones “wants in” and that the two names on the table as potential opponents are current UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou and former champion Stipe Miocic.
“UFC has been in dialogue with Jon Jones’ team about fighting in the main event on Dec. 10, sources say.,” Helwani tweeted. “I’m told Jones wants in. Initial hope was Ngannou x Jones but given Ngannou’s knee recovery + contract status = a long shot. Option 2 is Miocic. But that’s not close to done.”
Jones vs. Miocic to Headline UFC 282? If Not, Prochazka vs. Teixeira 2 Will, Helwani Reported
According to Helwani, if Jones vs. Miocic – which is the much more plausible route – gets done, they’ll headline the December card. If not, fans likely won’t see Jones until March when he potentially fights Ngannou for the undisputed championship.
That means UFC 282 would be headlined by the light heavyweight title tilt between champion Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira, Helwani reported.
“If they can get Jones x Miocic done, that’ll be the UFC 282 main,” Helwani tweeted. “If not, the main will be Prochazka x Teixeira 2. And if they can’t get Jones x Miocic done for 12/10, they’ll set their sights on doing Ngannou x Jones in March, if Ngannou re-signs. Developing.”
Ngannou is currently sidelined recovering from knee surgery. Further, “The Predator” is set to become a free agent, and though he’s made it clear that he hopes to stay with the UFC, he also wants to compete in boxing contests – something the promotion typically doesn’t accommodate.
At this time, it’s unclear if Ngannou will re-sign with the UFC.
Jones’ Heavyweight Debut Will Be ‘Truly Special,’ According to Coach
Bones’ striking coach Brandon Gibson recently spoke to Submission Radio about Jones’ impending return. And in short, he thinks fans are in for something “truly special.”
“You think of fighters going up in a weight class, and they always put on size and mass and power,” Gibson said (h/t MMA Junkie). “You look your Conor (McGregor) from his 145 days, going up to lightweight, going up to welterweight. And that’s a 25-pound difference. Jon Jones, his weight is up there right now, and it’s much more than 25 pounds.
“So, he is hitting extremely hard and extremely accurate and technical, and fast. I’ve trained a lot of amazing heavyweights. I trained (Andrei) Arlovski and (Alistair) Overeem and Frank Mir and Travis Browne, and Jon Jones is more powerful, explosive, creative, dynamic than all of them. So I can’t wait to see Jon make that walk at heavyweight. It’s going to be something truly, truly special, and I’m humbled to be a part of it.”