What is a pectoral tendon tear and how bad is it? Explaining the seriousness of Jon Jones' injury that forced him out of UFC 295

Jon Jones was booked to defend his undisputed UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at the UFC 295 event at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, on November 11, 2023.

Unfortunately, Jones suffered a pectoral muscle injury this month (October 2023), which forced him to withdraw from the highly-anticipated matchup. The injury includes ruptures of the pectoralis major muscle, usually caused by excessive strain on the muscle in activities such as weightlifting, wrestling, etc.

UFC CEO Dana White asserted that 'Bones' suffered the injury and is out of UFC 295. Besides, White suggested that Stipe Miocic too wouldn't compete at the event. The UFC boss added that Tom Aspinall would now face Sergei Pavlovich for the interim UFC heavyweight title at UFC 295.

It's believed that the Aspinall-Pavlovich winner would fight 'Bones' for the undisputed heavyweight title. Dana White had indicated that Jon Jones' pectoral tear has sidelined him for eight months.

Dr. David Abbasi, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, subsequently posted a video, addressing Jones' injury. In a video tweeted by the medical professional, he alluded to the pectoral tendon tear that 'Bones' suffered during a wrestling training session. Expounding upon the injury, Dr. Abbasi stated:

"Brutal news about Jon Jones; the fact that he tore his pec muscle off of the bone. This is an injury sometimes we see in the bench press on the way down. It can also happen when your arm gets overly stretched, places too much stress on the tendon, and it will tear and retract into the chest."

"And that's the reason you need to have surgery on this sooner rather than later because it can actually scar in over here [in the chest] and you're unable to stretch it back for the repair. So, surgeons will go in to repair this."

Watch Dr. Abbasi's assessment below:

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The Jon Jones injury and his potential recovery timeline

Dr. David Abbasi notably covered another essential aspect of the Jon Jones UFC 295 injury and withdrawal, concerning the fighter's estimated recovery timeline. While Dana White implied that Jones would be out for about eight months, Dr. Abbasi insinuated that the UFC legend could return sooner than that.

One ought to note that the consensus in the medical realm is that if an individual suffers a pectoral tear that requires surgery, the post-surgery recovery timeline is generally six months to a year. Nevertheless, Dr. David Abbasi hinted that steady progress in rehabilitation could facilitate a faster and safer return for Jon Jones. Dr. Abbasi said:

"I do think the timeline of the eight months seems a little bit long. A lot of these can get a full recovery in four-to-six months. From my personal experience, a lot of times, these guys are jumping the gun because they feel so good. So, hopefully, he can come back a little bit sooner. But definitely bad news for Jon Jones. But he did need to get this addressed now. All the best."