Jon Jones next fight: When is 'Bones' likely to fight in the UFC?

Jon Jones is keen to finally make his UFC heavyweight debut this year, with 'Bones' hopeful for a spot on the UFC 282 card in December. According to Ariel Helwani, Stipe Miocic is the most likely opponent for Jones. 'Bones' would rather face heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, but he is unlikely to be ready for a December bout due to injury and contract issues.

The UFC light heavyweight belt is already on the line at UFC 282, so adding a Jon Jones bout to the lineup would make for a stacked card in Las Vegas.

Watch Ariel Helwani speak about Jones' potential UFC 282 return here:

Should Jones face Stipe Miocic at UFC 282, the bout could also be for the interim heavyweight title. Current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou hasn't fought since January 2022 after defeating Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision.

It's no secret that Ngannou is unhappy with his current UFC contract, he's leveraging Jones' debut at heavyweight to push UFC to renegotiate his contract. Jon Jones, as everyone knows, would rather face Ngannou for the belt.

"My goal, my dream is to have my first heavyweight title fight look like my first light heavyweight title fight. Pure domination."

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How long has Jon Jones been away from the UFC octagon?

Jon Jones hasn't fought in the UFC since February 2020. 'Bones' took on Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 and won via unanimous decision after five rounds of fighting.

With so much time away from competitive MMA, it would be a remarkable return should 'Bones' fight for either an interim or undisputed UFC title upon his return.

Jones wasn't incredibly active in the final two years of his light heavyweight reign. He fought once in 2020 and twice in 2019. Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith both faced 'Bones' in 2019, with Jones successfully defending his title against the two fighters.

The organization is yet to announce a bout for the former light heavyweight champion, meaning the 35-year-old could have to wait until 2023 for his return.