"He can definitely get back in the pound-for-pound rankings" - Rashad Evans details how Jon Jones can top P4P list ahead of Kamaru Usman

Rashad Evans is confident that Jon Jones can reclaim his spot as the No. 1-ranked UFC pound-for-pound fighter, a position currently held by welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

However, the MMA veteran believes that it all depends on how the former light heavyweight kingpin performs when he steps back inside the cage after years of inactivity.

Speaking on ESPN MMA, 'Suga' also opined that Jones' issues away from the competition could also play a factor in his next octagon performance.

Here's what Evans said:

"It all depends on how Jon Jones comes back. If he comes back with a victory and looks like early Jon Jones or just, you know, new Jon Jones and I think he can definitely get back in the pound-for-pound rankings. But Jon has been going through so much lately.

"He's up to heavyweight now, [he's] sitting out a really long time, going through some personal things... It's going to be interesting to see what Jones we get. It's going to be interesting to see how he comes back and where he is if he can pick up any Jon Jones that we knew."

Watch Rashad Evans discuss Jones in the video below:

Jones dropped down the UFC pound-for-pound rankings in October 2021 due to prolonged inactivity following his last octagon outing in February 2020. Following the rankings update, the 34-year-old slid down to the No. 3 spot behind Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya.

'Bones' is currently positioned at No. 11 in the pound-for-pound rankings behind flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and one spot ahead of former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.

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Jon Jones to face Francis Ngannou or Stipe Miocic in UFC return

Jones hasn't competed inside the octagon since his controversial unanimous decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in early 2020. Following the win, the 34-year-old relinguished his light heavyweight title and expressed a desire to move up to heavyweight.

'Bones' went through some legal issues since vacating the belt but looks set to make his much-anticipated UFC return.

During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Dana White revealed that Jones is ready for a comeback and that he could be matched with either reigning champion Francis Ngannou or former titleholder Stipe Miocic.

Here's what the UFC president said:

"Yeah, Jon Jones is ready to go, we’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either gonna be Francis, depending on how long his knee is gonna take to recover, or Stipe Miocic."

Watch Dana White discuss Jones' return and potential opponents below:

According to online reports, the UFC was trying to book a fight between Jones and Miocic for the interim title later this year, but it hasn't been confirmed yet. It is also likely that 'The Predator' could be ready in time to welcome 'Bones' back into the octagon.

Speaking to TMZ Sports in late June, Ngannou revealed that he could be ready to return by the end of 2022 if everything goes well. However, the champion stated that he plans to return in late December or early next year.

Catch Ngannou's interaction with TMZ Sports below: