After back-to-back retirement/fighter negotiation sagas, it seems like perhaps Jon Jones really is done with his fighting days for good.
In a new video posted on social media by Red Corner MMA, Jones claims that he no longer considers himself a fighter, but a businessman.
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“My gloves are hung up,” Jones said in the video. “I’m chilling these days. You got business Jon Jones, no more fighter Jon Jones.”
The last couple of years have been an ongoing saga regarding Jones’ availability and status, going back to his time as the UFC heavyweight champion.
Jones appeared to be formally retired for good when UFC President Dana White announced such during the UFC Baku post-fight press conference in June 2025. In that same press conference, Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.
This seemed to bring an end to long-standing negotiations for the two to meet in a title unification bout. Aspinall won the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC 295, a card where Jones was scheduled to defend the UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic before tearing his pec. Jones would defeat Miocic when they finally met a year later at UFC 309.
But when U.S. President Donald Trump first teased the plans for a UFC card at the White House, now known as UFC Freedom 250, Jones was one of the first people to raise his hand to participate in the event. This came just two weeks after White confirmed Jones’ retirement.
White admitted at one point that Jones vs. Aspinall was his own White House “dream main event.” There was also some clamoring for Jones vs. Pereira to headline UFC Freedom 250 in the wake of Aspinall’s unavailability since his eye injury against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 321 main event.
White, however, made it clear on more than one occasion that he did not trust Jones with headlining such a major card, pointing to some of Jones’ issues outside of the Octagon. That decision was made final with the release of the UFC Freedom 250 card.
Now, it seems less certain we’ll see Jones compete in the UFC again.
UFC Freedom 250 will feature an interim heavyweight title fight between Gane and Pereira. Its main event will be Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje battling to unify the UFC lightweight championship.
