Jon Jones praises Thiago Santos while taking a shot at Anthony Smith

Jon Jones is in a confusing position in the UFC now. He appears to have jumped the gun when vacating the Light Heavyweight Championship in favor of a move to Heavyweight.

While Jon Jones wouldn't be denied a title shot, UFC president Dana White has made it clear that Francis Ngannou will be getting a crack at Stipe Miocic again next. On the other hand, Jon Jones' feud with Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has led to a lot of interest, with Dana White calling it the "fight to make."

In Jon Jones' return title run from December 2018, he took out Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes. While some argued that Thiago Santos won their fight in 2019, it wasn't as controversial as his win over Dominick Reyes in February 2020.

Thiago Santos had put on an incredible effort, especially since he had devastating injuries to both knees during the fight against Jon Jones. The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion tweeted out praising Thiago Santos while taking a shot at Anthony Smith. You can view the tweet here.

Anthony Lionheart Smith was heavily criticized for his performance against Jon Jones. While he could have potentially won by disqualification, he chose not to, and the entire fight was a one-sided clinic from Jon Jones.

What lies ahead for Jon Jones and Thiago Santos?

For Thiago Santos, Glover Teixeira is next in early November. Their fight had gotten delayed a couple of times, but the Brazilian will finally return for the first time since his defeat to Jon Jones.

It could be a number one contender's fight since Glover Teixeira has been on an impressive winning streak. For Jon Jones, 2021 will be the next time that we see him inside the Octagon. Whether it's against the Heavyweight Champion or Israel Adesanya, we're yet to see.