Jon Jones put an end to months of speculation about a possible return to the Octagon. On X on October 10, the former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion wrote that he will “more than likely” never fight again, while confirming he remains subject to the promotion’s drug testing.
The October 10 posts
A fan asked Jones directly on X whether he thought he would ever step back into the cage at any point in the future. Jones replied: “More than likely, I won’t fight again, but as of right now I’m still getting drug tested.” He added: “Leaving doors open, you never know what the future holds.” According to the UFC’s official anti-doping site, cited by MMA Fighting, Jones has been tested four times so far in 2026. No opponent, date or weight class was mentioned anywhere in the exchange, and Jones did not say when he was last tested.
The Freedom 250 snub and Dana White’s response
Jones had pushed to land a spot on the Freedom 250 card, the UFC event staged at the White House. Dana White bluntly told him he was never in the conversation for that night, effectively treating Jones as a retired fighter rather than an active member of the heavyweight division. Jones fired back on social media and demanded his release from his UFC contract. Alex Pereira, the opponent Jones had targeted first for a comeback, has reportedly moved on from the idea, according to Last Word on MMA. The same outlet reports Jones had also explored, without success, leaving the UFC to fight Francis Ngannou outside the promotion, and had repeatedly turned down a grappling match against Daniel Cormier in recent months.
Jones had officially vacated the heavyweight title back in June 2025 when he announced his retirement, before reversing course to push Dana White to book him for the Freedom 250 card, according to Last Word on MMA. That unsuccessful push is what preceded this week’s tense back-and-forth between the two men.
The regret he shared with The Schmo
In an interview with The Schmo, Jones looked back on missing the White House card: “That was one of the few nights in my career where I was just thinking, I should have been there.” He added: “I usually don’t regret decisions, but that was one of my big regrets in life, not being a part of the White House.” He quickly softened the statement, though: “But if I never fight again, I’m pretty damn happy.” Asked about the president attending the event, Jones called the night “massive,” regardless of political affiliation, and said he still believes the Miocic win belongs among the signature moments of his career.
The back-and-forth with Colby Covington
The same day, Jones also answered Colby Covington, who had called him a “terrible human being” and criticized his role as a corner coach for Olympic wrestler Gable Steveson. Jones shot back, writing in part: “I just like reminding Colby that I’m not the man I used to be.” Jones was indeed working Steveson’s corner on September 24, when the former Olympic wrestler lost by a 12-second knockout to Sean Sharaf in what remains one of the shortest finishes of the year.
A heavyweight division that has moved on
Jones still considers his third-round knockout of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024 his final fight: “I really do believe it, that was my last moment inside the cage,” he told The Schmo. He later vacated the heavyweight title after the UFC moved forward without booking a defense against Tom Aspinall, now the undisputed champion and ranked in our UFC rankings. No negotiations for a Jones return have been confirmed at this stage. Jones had previously held both the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles over the course of his career. Stipe Miocic, his last opponent, was 42 years old on the night of their UFC 309 clash. Since then, the heavyweight division has rebuilt itself entirely around Aspinall and his contenders, with Jones’s name nowhere in that picture for now, even as he keeps the door open on social media for a future he says is unlikely to come.
