Jon Jones has dropped hints about it before, but now he appears to be stating more firmly that his first heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic may be the last fight of his career.
“I feel like the Stipe fight will be plenty for me,” Jones told Fox Sports Australia. “I really don’t feel like I 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 got some small injuries and I just really want to be around — I want to be around for my family, I want to be around for my kids, I want to be able to play with my kids and have a good head on my shoulders, and joints that work. So yeah, I can see it coming to an end really soon.”
That being said, the 35-year-old Jones did admit that he’d still be willing to hold off on retiring if he had the chance to fight Francis Ngannou, though as things stand that seems unlikely after the former heavyweight champ left the UFC earlier this year.
“I do believe a Francis Ngannou fight would be worth entertaining not retiring,” Jones said. “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 damn popular [in the U.S.], and across the world. It would bring in a lot of money, and for that, I’d be willing to come back.”
As things stand Jones vs. Miocic is still not official, but it seems like it’s only a matter of time before it’s finalized for sometimes later this year.
