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Despite an intended move to heavyweight, it looks for now at least like Jon Jones’ UFC career is once again on hold.
Jon Jones is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters of all time, but should the UFC work to bring him back, or are they better off without him?
Most UFC fans would probably suggest that the promotion ought to do what it takes to bring him back, but that might not be the smartest path.
Instead, here are five reasons why the UFC are better off without Jon Jones.
#1 After so many issues, Jon Jones simply can’t be trusted
Inside the octagon, Jon Jones has always been a fantastic fighter. His UFC record of 20-1-1, with the lone loss being a bogus one, stands up against any other fighter in UFC history.
But perhaps no other UFC fighter has had so many issues outside of the octagon that have affected his career.
He has been suspended for the use of recreational drugs, including cocaine and for the subsequent legal issues that followed. Additionally, he’s also tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs on three separate occasions.
That doesn’t even touch on the issue of Jones supposedly “pulsing” and continually testing positive for the banned substance turanibol before being let off the hook by USADA.
No other fighter – even ones who’ve given the UFC serious headaches like Tito Ortiz and Conor McGregor – has been stripped of their UFC title on three occasions like Jones.
When you consider all of this, would it really be worth the UFC breaking their backs to bring Jones back into the fold?
The honest answer is probably not. If Jones were to win the UFC heavyweight title, could the promotion really trust him not to be busted for PEDs in the post-fight drug test?
After suffering through years of hassle caused by Jones, it may well be time for the UFC to simply forget about him and move on.
#2 Jon Jones isn’t a huge drawing card anyway
The UFC always allows its bigger drawing cards a somewhat longer leash regarding their behavior and demands, particularly financially.
Conor McGregor, of course, has been involved in plenty of out-of-competition controversies over the years. But the UFC has always stuck by the Irishman, and the reason for that is obvious.
The Notorious One guarantees pay-per-view buys like no other fighter in UFC history, drawing over a million buys practically every time he gets into the octagon.
Jon Jones appears to be demanding similar treatment to McGregor. Unfortunately, despite his success in the UFC, he simply doesn’t enjoy the same drawing power.
Bones has never drawn over a million buys on pay-per-view. This is a feat achieved not only by McGregor but also by the likes of Ronda Rousey, Georges St. Pierre and Brock Lesnar over the years.
The closest he’s come was 860k buys for his second fight with Daniel Cormier at UFC 214. But outside of that, Jones-headlined UFC shows tend to trend on a similar level to shows headlined by lesser stars such as Stipe Miocic and Robert Whittaker.
In fact, there’s probably an argument to suggest that current UFC champs Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya are bigger draws than Jones. After all, both men have headlined shows that have outdrawn Jones-headlined ones in recent months.
So if Jones isn’t a mega-draw like McGregor, why should the UFC push out the boat for him as they would for the Irishman?
#3 The UFC will be fine without him
Even if Jones was a major drawing card, the truth is that the UFC has lost huge stars before and it’s always recovered.
When mega-draws like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture began to fade away at the end of the UFC’s initial boom in the mid-2000s, Brock Lesnar, Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre quickly emerged to take their mantle.
And when those three fighters began to fade, the UFC entered its most profitable era thanks to the emergence of Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.
And with McGregor and Rousey now either gone or becoming less relevant, fighters such as Kamaru Usman, Israel Adesanya and Dustin Poirier appear to be picking up the baton.
Essentially, the UFC is such a juggernaut that it can clearly survive without even its biggest stars. And that isn’t even touching on the fact that the promotion’s deal with ESPN means that they make a huge profit from even a lesser show.
Basically, Jon Jones needs the UFC far more than they need him right now. And if he isn’t willing to play ball, the UFC should just move on.
#4 The UFC will feel fresher without him
After a lengthy period as one of the more dull weight classes in the UFC, the light heavyweight division now feels fresher than it’s done in a long time.
Much of that has to do with the emergence of exciting fighters such as Jiri Prochazka, Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev. But it’s also tied to the fact that Jon Jones isn’t UFC light heavyweight champion anymore.
While Jones was champion, it felt like no other 205lber really had a chance of defeating him.
If Jones had been smashing his opponents in a virtuoso style, that would’ve been one thing. But his most recent three defenses – against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes – saw Bones coasting through in largely dull outings.
And to be frank, that wasn’t much fun for the fans to watch.
New UFC light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz is a great fighter in his own right. But if Jones were to return, there’s little doubt that he could easily reclaim the title he vacated in 2020.
If Jones did that, the light heavyweight division would instantly return to its stale state, rather than the chaos-filled division it is right now.
Essentially, Jones had become too dominant. And despite his brilliance, the UFC light-heavyweight division is better off without him.
#5 The UFC can’t be seen to bow down to a single fighter
It seems like the impasse between the UFC and Jon Jones comes down to finance. Bones is reportedly demanding something in the ballpark of $30m for a potential fight with UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou.
However, the issue that the UFC has is that they can’t simply bow down to the demands of a single fighter, even if he’s an all-time great like Jones.
If the promotion gives into Jones’ financial demands, suddenly, other fighters will probably do the same. This would quickly shatter the UFC’s financial model.
Sure, it’s one thing for them to pay big money for Conor McGregor, but he’s the biggest draw in UFC history. Jones isn’t close.
In the post-COVID-19 world - and with the UFC now being a public company - the promotion simply can’t afford to change the way it does business.
So if Jones won’t back down from his demands, then the UFC would almost certainly be best to just walk away from the discussion.
