S t, I may just enjoy retirement - Jon Jones reacts to Ngannou out grappling Gane

Get the Full StoryJon Jones at the UFC 247 ceremonial weigh-ins in 2020. Photo by Ronald Martinez Getty Images

If this is the apex of heavyweight fighting, I m excited about it. Former longtime UFC champion Jon Jones hasn t seen action for nearly two years now. Bones relinquished the light heavyweight title in 2020 and decided to finally turn his heavyweight aspirations into a reality.

These days, the most activity Jones is having is on social media. The 34-year-old was apparently tuned in on Saturday s UFC 270 heavyweight title headliner between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, and he had this to say.

If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I m excited about it. Got some more records to break BONY JonnyBones January 23, 2022

I love how everyone gets so impressed with the new guy lol BONY JonnyBones January 23, 2022

As the fight went on, he seemed to have changed his tune.

Lol Shit I may just enjoy retirement BONY JonnyBones January 23, 2022

If you ask the other major players involved, Jones isn t seen as the next best option. UFC president Dana White, for one, says he has no confidence in declaring that Jones will indeed be the next heavyweight title contender.

I don t feel confident saying that Jon Jones is next. And not because I think he s unreliable, it s because I honestly don t know what Jon Jones wants to do next, White told Brett Okamoto during a fight week interview.

I think Jon s gonna watch this fight and he ll decide maybe he doesn t fight at heavyweight. Maybe he goes back and tries to regain the light heavyweight championship. I honestly don t know the answer to that question.

Ngannou, who successfully defended his title for the first time via decision, says a potential fight with Jones is already behind him.

No, I m done with that fight, Ngannou said during the pre-fight presser. I ve been waiting for that fight for so long. After Stipe, it was supposed to be Jon Jones, and that never happened. I don t know why. So I moved on.

Jones expects his heavyweight debut to happen sometime in the second quarter of 2022. He also claimed to have been guaranteed a PPV-based pay increase by the UFC for his next fights.

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