Jones Hints At UFC Return

Jon Jones is moving like he never left — and the door to a comeback is open again.

The former two-division UFC champion posted an update this week that will reignite conversations the sport had largely filed away. Jones has been serving as the primary training partner for Gable Steveson ahead of the Olympic gold medallist's UFC debut at UFC 329 next month, and the process appears to have reminded him of something.

"Never say never, right now we are finishing up Gable's training camp. He's looking extraordinary. I've been his main training partner, and I'm moving like I never left. Stem cells must be working," Jones

The stem cell treatment came on the advice of Joe Rogan and was pursued to address the severe hip arthritis Jones admitted had affected his final training camps, including the one preceding his most recent victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. The hip deterioration was a significant factor in the extended inactivity that preceded his departure from the heavyweight title picture, and Jones has since acknowledged it played into his eventual decision to step back.

The broader context remains complicated. Jones publicly demanded his UFC release earlier this year following his exclusion from the White House card, a dispute with Dana White that has not been formally resolved. The release was not granted. His contract status and his relationship with UFC leadership remain unresolved threads that any comeback would need to navigate before a fight could be made.

He vacated the undisputed heavyweight title after a drawn-out negotiation to fight Tom Aspinall went nowhere, clearing the path for Aspinall to be elevated and the division to move forward without him. Aspinall is now preparing for a rematch with Ciryl Gane in what appears to be an October window. The heavyweight title picture has reorganised itself around Jones's absence.