Dana White confirmed that Jon Jones will fight Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but interim champion Tom Aspinall awaits the winner.
Jones returned to the octagon in March 2023, ending a three-year hiatus by defeating Ciryl Gane for the UFC Heavyweight Title.
‘Bones’ was supposed to fight Miocic in the fall of 2023, but a pectoral injury that required surgery would sideline the champ for several months.
Now, fans are left wondering what’s next for Jones. And UFC CEO Dana White has an answer to that question.
Who is Jon Jones fighting next?
Dana White confirmed that the previously planned Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic championship bout is still happening. And it will be Jones’ next UFC fight.
”Jon Jones is set to fight Stipe [Miocic],” White confirmed to TNT Sports in March. “You know, because of the injury, who knows when they will fight.”
Although the UFC has not announced when Jones’ return from injury will be, White hopes it will happen later in 2024. ‘Bones’ might have inadvertently revealed the date and venue of his return in a now-deleted post on his X account.
The post read, “November 9th Madison Square Garden. Here I come baby.”
🚨 In a now deleted post, Jon Jones announces that he will defend his belt on November 9th at Madison Square Garden in New York#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/tFL1o2mwAD
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 17, 2024
While it is far from an official confirmation that Jones and Miocic will battle in New York this November, this accidental reveal by the reigning UFC heavyweight champion is a sign that White’s announcement could be imminent.
When will Jones fight Tom Aspinall?
White revealed that Tom Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, will get a shot to unify the belt against the winner of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
That is, if Aspinall can successfully defend his interim strap vs Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.
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Dana White is asked about Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones coming face to face and about the future of the interim title in the heavyweight division:“Jones is set to fight Stipe. I hope the winner of that fight will fight Tom.”“Jon Jones and Stipe, you know because of the injury,… pic.twitter.com/KWtUzp57qD
— FightCrack (@FightCrack) March 26, 2024
In Jones’ absence, Aspinall won the interim strap against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 last November. He has been angling for a unification fight vs. the “official” heavyweight champion ever since.
However, according to White, barring an unforeseen injury, Aspinall must wait for that opportunity until after the Jones vs Miocic showdown.
In the meantime, the England native will put his interim championship on the line in front of his home country, as the Manchester UFC 304 card is set for July 27.
He gets a chance to avenge his lone UFC loss, which came at the hands of Blaydes in 2022. It’s a match that lasted only 15 seconds after Aspinall suffered a horrific right knee injury.
Whoever wins out of Aspinall and Blaydes is expected to challenge the winner of Jones vs Miocic to unify the UFC heavyweight championship.
Jon Jones’ UFC fighting record
Jon Jones’ UFC record stands at a sparkling 21 wins, one loss, and one no-contest across 23 fights with the promotion.
Jones entered the UFC with a perfect 6-0 record as a rising star in the mixed martial arts world. His overall MMA record is 27-1 (1 NC).
His lone loss came in a controversial disqualification vs Matt Hamill. White has spoken out against the ref’s decision, saying Jones “shouldn’t have a loss.”
The no-contest against Daniel Cormier came as a result of the anti-doping agency ruling that said Jones ingested a banned substance, which ended up being a “contaminated sex pill.”