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Just weeks ago, Jon Jones put on one of the best showings of his career when he choked out Ciryl Gane to become the UFC heavyweight champion.
It looks like Jon Jones’ first UFC heavyweight title defense will come against former champ Stipe Miocic later in 2023, but could ‘Bones’ retire afterwards?
It’d probably come as a surprise if Jones did hang up his gloves, but UFC president Dana White has already stated that he wouldn’t be shocked if this were the case. In fact, it could actually be a good idea.
Here are five reasons why Jon Jones should retire if he beats Stipe Miocic.
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#5. There are no other money fights left for Jon Jones at heavyweight
After he defeated Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title, many fans immediately started talking about how Jon Jones could dominate his new division for a lengthy time.
It looks like Stipe Miocic will act as his first title challenger, but if ‘Bones’ dispatches the former champion, it’s actually hard to say who he’d fight next.
One thing is for certain: outside of Miocic, and with Francis Ngannou no longer in the UFC, there are basically no money fights left for Jones at heavyweight.
Young up-and-comers like Curtis Blaydes and Sergei Pavlovich might provide Jones with fair challenges, but neither of them have the star power to really resonate with the casual fans.
Essentially, Jones at heavyweight post-Miocic would look a lot like Jones at light heavyweight after 2018, facing contender-of-the-month types to diminishing fan interest.
Given that ‘Bones’ will probably only be interested in big fights at this point in his career, is there really anything for him to stick around for? In all honesty, no.
#4. Jon Jones has already been around for a long period of time and may be slowing down
It’s almost an unwritten rule in the UFC that a fighter probably has a decade of peak performances in them, and after that decade is up, the only way tends to be down.
Jon Jones is one of the rare exceptions to that rule. ‘Bones’ did make his octagon debut way back in August 2008, nearly 15 years ago, but he was just 21 years old at the time and had only been fighting professionally for four months.
However, even though Jones has essentially dominated most of his opponents since that debut, all of the years of fighting, training and sparring did appear to be catching up to him prior to his return this year.
His wins over Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes were easily the least impressive of his run at 205 pounds, with many fans feeling he was lucky to get the nod in the latter two.
More to the point, he’s now 35 years old and while he did look great against Ciryl Gane, there’s a chance that his physical peak may be coming to an end.
With that considered, it could be a smart idea for Jones’ future after his fighting career if he decides to step away from the sport altogether if he beats Stipe Miocic later this year.
#3. Jon Jones’ fight with Stipe Miocic might be one of the most dangerous of his career
While Jon Jones’ recent UFC heavyweight title win over Ciryl Gane was one of the easiest victories of his career, his fans probably shouldn’t get complacent when it comes to his next bout.
Sure, former heavyweight kingpin Stipe Miocic is an aging fighter at the age of 40, and he hasn’t set foot in the octagon since he was knocked out by Francis Ngannou in 2021.
However, he’s also – on paper at least – a far trickier match for Jones than he’s probably given credit for.
Miocic is an excellent boxer, has demonstrated remarkable toughness, and is also a high-level wrestler, having competed as an NCAA Division I All-American. He holds a win over Ngannou, as well as Jones’ great rival Daniel Cormier.
It’s likely that Jones will come into the bout as the favorite, but it’s also likely that Miocic will at least push him as hard as anyone has done in recent years. He may even be able to hurt ‘Bones’ with his heavy hands.
Essentially, even if Jones comes through the bout with a victory, it’s probable that he won’t come through unscathed, and it may take him a long time to recover.
Therefore, it might be better for him to step away from the game after the fight before that damage catches up with him down the road.
#2. Francis Ngannou isn’t likely to return to fight Jon Jones any time soon
The one bout that could probably make Jon Jones stick around in the UFC after his fight with Stipe Miocic is a clash with Francis Ngannou.
‘The Predator’ exited the promotion after a lengthy contract dispute at the start of this year, abandoning his heavyweight crown in the process. Despite this, he’s still widely considered the best heavyweight in the world.
Essentially, there’s a train of thought that suggests that Jones can never be considered the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world unless he defeats Ngannou.
While Dana White has already stated that he believes Jones would beat ‘The Predator’ as easily as he beat Ciryl Gane, the truth is that it’d be a far more difficult fight for ‘Bones’.
Ngannou was quick to take to Twitter after watching Jones beat Gane, but based on what we’ve heard recently, it seems highly unlikely that he’ll return to the UFC any time soon.
If that’s the case, then Jones really has no reason to stick around after the Miocic fight if he wins. As we already discussed, there are no money fights outside of that bout for him – so if he can’t get Ngannou into the octagon, then what’s the point?
#1. Jon Jones should aim to be Georges St-Pierre, not Anderson Silva
When Jon Jones defeated Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title earlier this year, many were quick to proclaim him as the promotion’s GOAT.
However, just as many fans still believe that the accolade belongs to former welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre. Part of the reason why St-Pierre is so revered is the fact that, unlike many of his peers, he knew exactly when to get out of the game.
‘GSP’ initially stepped away from the UFC in 2013 after defending his welterweight title for the ninth successive time, defeating Johny Hendricks.
Despite a number of calls for him to return, he refused to do so outside of a single bout in 2017 that saw him dethrone Michael Bisping for the middleweight title. After that, he immediately walked away from the promotion for a second time.
At one stage, Anderson Silva was widely considered as the Canadian’s closest competitor when it came to being recognized as the GOAT. However, part of the reason that Silva fell from grace in the eyes of the fans was the way his career ended.
After Chris Weidman knocked him off his middleweight throne in 2013, ‘The Spider’ fought in the octagon on a further eight occasions before his 2020 retirement. He won just one of those fights, and ended his career on the back of three straight losses.
Essentially, then, Jon Jones should aim to end his career in the same way that St-Pierre did, not in the same way that Silva did.
A win over Stipe Miocic would be the perfect way for him to walk away, then, rather than risk suffering a similar string of losses that damaged Silva’s legacy so badly.
