"Fans, they can be very fair-weather" - Michael Bisping explains why Jon Jones needs to "win back the respect" of the MMA community

Michael Bisping claims Jon Jones must win back the respect of MMA fans with a dominant performance upon his return to the octagon.

The former light heavyweight champion has been out of action since February 2020 and is expected to return later this year. Having taken the best part of two years to bulk up, fans are expecting to see the heavyweight iteration of 'Bones' when he makes his comeback.

Bisping believes that despite Jones being one of the greatest fighters of all time, fans judge athletes on the basis of their recent performances. 'The Count' pointed out that Jones failed to impress in his last two fights against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes, despite getting his hand raised on both occasions.

According to Bisping, 'Bones' must put on a great performance in his next fight to once again be considered among the best fighters in the UFC right now. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Bisping stated:

"He [Jon Jones] does want to win back the respect of the community. Remember those last few fights at light heavyweight, he struggled with the likes of Dominick Reyes and Thiago Santos, and in this sport of mixed martial arts, it's very much, 'What have you done for me lately?' Fans, they can be very fair-weather. They're quick to forget and rightly so. I get it, I say all the time you're only as good as your last fight in mixed martial art and it's true."

Watch the video below:

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Jon Jones reveals timeline for heavyweight debut

Jon Jones is likely to face former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic upon his much-awaited return to the octagon. It will undoubtedly be a difficult matchup for the 34-year-old, who will be facing the man widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight of all time in his divisional debut.

Previously, it seemed like Jones and Miocic were likely to fight during International Fight Week in July. However, Jones' recent tweet hints otherwise. 'Bones' claimed that Miocic will only be fully prepared to fight in September.

He further stated that since he wants to face the best version of Miocic inside the octagon, he doesn't mind the delay despite being disappointed.

"Stipe is saying that he will be at his absolute peak in September. I’m disappointed but patient, I want the heavyweight goat at his absolute best. I’ll wait until September. No excuses."