In some top MMA news, Jon Jones has confirmed that he will have surgery on his pectoral tendon, which has ruled him out of his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic.

The injury came about after a period of sparring, as the heavyweight champion is set to be out of action until next year.

The withdrawal resulted in major changes on the card as Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall’s bout became the co-main event. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka will headline.

Those changes were preceded by the narrative that the fight could be the last of Jones or Miocic’s career. Naturally, the news has not gone down well with Jones.

Jones On His Injury

"Obviously, very sad situation, very upset. But I’ve been through a lot of things in life, and injuries are a part of being an athlete. I want to thank the UFC for getting me in to one of the best doctors in the country. I wanted to say thank you to Stipe Miocic for all the work that he’s put in.

"Also, sorry to Stipe and his team. Like I said, this comes with the territory. I guess it will be Stipe and I at a later date, and that’s my plan. Hopefully, these other heavyweights, Aspinall and Sergei, put it on a great show for you guys. I may even show up to the event to watch. But I love you all, and hey, your boy Jon Jones is doing OK," Jones

Nevertheless, Chael Sonnen has suggested that the injury could keep Jones out of action for a prolonged period of time. The former MMA fighter suggested that it could take a period of around eight months before such an injury is healed.

The timeline, naturally, does not bode well given that Jones is in the latter parts of his career, with suggestions that retirement may be on the horizon.

Jones’ Comeback

"Jon Jones is going to be out eight months in the best-case scenario. That’s going to put him at 37 years old to preserve a fight with what will then be a 42-and-a-half-year-old. If we get down the road, eight months, which is the best-case scenario – I mean, don’t forget this is a bad shoulder injury.

"Jon Jones is 36 years old. He’s going to be 37. They took his growth hormone and his testosterone away. This isn’t like the olden days where he can heal himself in record time. If he stays within the USADA pool, if it’s eight months, it’s going to be the full eight months," Sonnen

Ultimately, Jones has shown mass periods of inactivity. Prior to the current injury, the MMA fighter had been away from the cage for around three years before the bout with Cyril Gane.

And yet, at the same time, Jones had shown huge resolve in managing to come back in order to defeat Gane for the vacant heavyweight title in style after a submission win in the first round. And that is something he will be backing himself to do again.

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