Dana White: Jon Jones ‘ready to go’ for heavyweight debut

According to UFC president Dana White, it’s only a matter of time before Jon Jones returns to the Octagon.

During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” White said Jones is prepared to make his first heavyweight foray with the UFC in the coming months, but the promotion still needs to settle on an opponent for the New York native. The former light heavyweight champion hasn’t competed in the Las Vegas-based promotion since defending the 205-pound belt in a decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.

“Jon Jones is ready to go,” White said. “We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis [Ngannou] depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.”

Ngannou recently provided an update on his recovery from knee surgery and hinted that he could be ready as soon as December 2022, though some time next year still seems more likely.

A Jones vs. Stipe bout has been rumored for months. The UFC initially targeted the fight for July before Miocic revealed that he would prefer September. If Jones and Miocic fought, an interim title would most likely be at stake.

Jones will turn 35 in July, and White, for one, will be curious to see how “Bones” fares after such a long layoff.

“It’s very interesting because I’m a huge believer in ring rust,” White said. “But for all the negative things you could say about Jon Jones and his personal life and things that have happened, he’s the best. He’s definitely the best of all time.”