.png)
Jon Jones, one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, recently signed a new contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship which includes 8-fights and has made him highest paid athlete of the promotion. He has also announced his return to the sport after a long layoff of 3 years.
In the main event of UFC 285 on March 4 in Las Vegas, Jones will make his heavyweight comeback when he challenges Ciryl Gane for the vacated heavyweight championship. Jones has been with the promotion since 2008 and has established himself as one of the best light heavyweight fighters of all time, with a record of 26 wins and only 1 loss.
The 33-year-old fighter has been preparing for his return to the octagon with a renewed focus on his physique. He has been working tirelessly in the gym, focusing on building strength, power, and endurance. Fans and analysts are excited to see how Jones' improved physique will translate into the octagon.
During a Monday Twitter Spaces with Kanpai Pandas, Bones claimed that the contract he already had had the same number of fights; nevertheless, when questioned about whether White was offering him extra, Jones vehemently agreed.
“Oh yes, he sure did,” Jones said. “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.”
Jones has his sights set on reclaiming the heavyweight championship and has made it clear that he wants to fight Stipe Miocic for the title after UFC 285. Miocic is the former heavyweight champion and is considered one of the best heavyweights of all time. A match between Jones and Miocic would be a dream fight for fans and would determine who is the greatest mixed martial artist of their generation.
“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.
Jones relinquished the light heavyweight championship upon beating Dominick Reyes in his most recent battle at UFC 247 in February 2020 to move up to the heavyweight division to take on Francis Ngannou, who was the champion at the time. Ngannou has since left the business as champion because the fight was never scheduled. The 35-year-old has grown in terms of size and muscle ever since. Jones responded when queried how challenging that journey had been.
“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 ass, unfortunately — but just trying to keep that shape and doing it the right way.”