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Chris Curtis was surprised to see Jon Jones teasing retirement.
On March 4, Jones returned to the octagon for the first time in three years. The former UFC light heavyweight champion sought a new challenge by moving up to the heavyweight division and taking on Ciryl Gane for the vacant title. ‘Bones’ furthered his legacy by dominating Gane with a first-round submission.
Although the MMA community has been buzzing since Jones returned, he might leave the sport sooner rather than later. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion had this to say on Twitter:
“How cool would it be to spend my retirement fight dominating the greatest heavyweight of all time, in my home state at Madison Square Garden?”
Most people suspected Jones wouldn't be around for long, but the idea of him only fighting one more time was surprising. Curtis, a UFC middleweight, responded to ‘Bones’ on Twitter by saying:
“Wait, what? You just came back…”
Before taking out Gane, Jones last fought in February 2020, securing a controversial unanimous decision against Dominick Reyes. Since then, the New York native was preparing his body for the heavyweight division, which paid dividends in the long run. The 35-year-old is now waiting for a date to defend his throne for the first time.
Jon Jones hints at UFC heavyweight championship defense happening in November
During his UFC 285 post-fight interview, Jon Jones called out former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who was sitting cageside. There were rumors that Jones vs. Miocic could headline the International Fight Week event in July before Dana White recently shut down that possibility.
After Jones showed interest in fighting at Madison Square Garden, a fan had this question for the heavyweight champion:
“MSG november card i suppose?”
Jones responded to the fan by saying:
“Not saying”
Jon Jones was expected to fight Miocic in his heavyweight debut before the fight fell through. ‘Bones’ accused the Ohio native of avoiding the matchup, which has been denied numerous times. The former heavyweight champion is being underestimated because he hasn’t fought since March 2021, but his championship experience and fight IQ could lead to his hand getting raised later this year.
