Heavyweight champion Jon Jones has revealed that he’s already in talks with UFC officials about his next fight, and while he’s not giving away clues as to who he’ll be fighting, he says he does anticipate being back in the Octagon next year.
“Right now, the UFC and I, we’re in negotiations,” Jones told ‘The Schmo’. “We’re in talks to see what happens next. I’m back in the gym. I’m training. I feel really great. The team supports me and they’re behind me. We’ll just be ready for whatever opportunity comes our way.”
Jones then went on to acknowledge that the money will have to be right for his return to the Octagon, but he seems confident that one way or another he will defend his belt in the year to come.
“There is (a figure in mind), but I’m not going to discuss that publicly,” Jones said. “Yes, I will be competing in 2025, more than likely.”
Jones didn’t specifically name interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall as the man he’s in negotiations to fight, but Aspinall had claimed that the UFC were already negotiating with him regarding the match-up before he’d even left the building following UFC 309.
That being said, Jones had previously mentioned his interest in fighting light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira instead, so nothing can be ruled out at this stage.
