Jon Jones hints at retirement unless he gets fight that "would be worth entertaining"
Jon Jones' heavyweight career got off to a tremendous start as he needed just over two minutes to submit Ciryl Gane and claim the vacant title. The No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter recently revealed that, despite his success, his time in the division may be short-lived.
Speaking to Fox Sports Australia, 'Bones' stated:
"I think the Stipe fight will be plenty for me. I feel like I don't really 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 been training for a long time, I've been in the game for a long time and got some small injuries. I just really want to be around. I want to be around for my family. I want to be around for my kids."
Jon Jones added that there is one opponent that could motivate him to continue fighting:
"I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining [and] not retiring. 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 d**n popular here in America and across the world. He's very well known. It would bring in a lot of money, and for that, I would be willing to come back."
Check out Jon Jones' comments on retirement below (starting at the 2:00 mark):
Jones was originally in talks to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 290 during International Fight Week. The fight is now reportedly being targeted for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in November. While the heavyweight champion and Francis Ngannou have exchanged words on several occasions, 'The Predator' is no longer with the UFC, complicating a potential clash.
Jon Jones is uninterested in facing Sergei Pavlovich
Sergei Pavlovich may be next in line for a title opportunity after defeating Curtis Blaydes at UFC Fight Night 222. Jon Jones recently revealed that he has no interest in facing the No.2-ranked heavyweight. Speaking to Fox Sports Australia, the heavyweight champion stated:
"Everyone is talking about Sergei, and Sergei is a huge challenge but no one knows who he is. In the grand scheme of things no one knows who he is. I think Luke Thomas said it best. He was saying, 'high risk, very low reward'... Maybe the UFC will come with the right numbers and we can make this Sergei thing happen, but as of right now, I got all the accolades, nothing really to prove."
Check out Jon Jones' comments on Sergei Pavlovich below (starting at the 5:40 mark):
Jones added that facing an opponent such as Francis Ngannou would draw more attention to the bout. It is unclear if 'Bones' will continue fighting after facing Stipe Miocic later this year.