Jon Jones rivals Jamal Murray and others for 2023 ESPY comeback athlete

Jon Jones's accomplishments in 2023 have earned him a nomination for this year's Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award. The former light heavyweight kingpin made his highly anticipated return back in March. It was his first bout since taking a sabbatical from the sport in 2020, after a controversial win over Dominick Reyes.

The opponent he faced for his return fight was former UFC interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane. 'Bones', however, made quick work of his foe, defeating him with a guillotine choke within two minutes of the first round. Other athletes who are in line for the award include Jamal Murray, who returned after an 18-month layoff.

His historic comeback saw the Denver Nuggets capture their first-ever NBA Championship. Needless to say, Jon Jones is up against some stiff competition to claim the award. Despite his heavyweight debut taking place against Ciryl Gane, 'Bones' was initially expected to face Francis Ngannou.

At the time, 'The Predator' was the UFC heavyweight champion. Both he and Jon Jones were interested in the matchup. Unfortunately, disagreements with the promotion regarding pay caused 'Bones' to commit to his sabbatical. Meanwhile, things soured between Dana White and Francis Ngannou.

This led to the Cameroonian knockout artist leaving the UFC to ply his trade in the PFL. Despite no longer fighting under the same promotional banner, both Jones and Ngannou recently took part in a face-off at PFL 5, where the two men sized each other.

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Who is Jon Jones fighting next?

Despite capturing the UFC heavyweight title back in March, there is nothing yet concrete about Jon Jones' next opponent. He was initially expected to face former 265-pound titleholder Stipe Miocic after calling him out in his post-fight interview at UFC 285. However, a contract is yet to be signed by anyone.

Instead, rumors of a potential bout with Tyson Fury have been rampant. Joe Rogan recently expressed his opinion that if 'The Gypsy King' and 'Bones' were locked inside a room together, Jones would emerge victorious. This caused Fury to respond to Rogan by claiming that no man alive could beat him.

Once Jones caught wind of Fury's assertion, he challenged him to face him in an MMA bout. However, 'The Gypsy King' backtracked and challenged Jones to a boxing match instead.