A return to mixed martial arts for Jon Jones? In 2027? If Gable Steveson is to be believed, that could be exactly what we are going to see.
In the wake of Tom Aspinall vacating the UFC heavyweight championship, many fans and fighters have weighed in on what they think it all means for the title, and for Aspinall’s future. This includes Jon Jones, who has been fairly active on social media in recent days, despite the fact that he spent a long period of time avoiding a fight with the Englishman.
Jon Jones’ time these days is spent training up Gable Steveson, someone who legitimately has the potential to become a UFC world champion in his own right. Of course, it’s going to take time, but Jon is probably one of the best coaches you could have from an ability standpoint.
In a recent interview, Gable Steveson gave his thoughts on whether or not Jon Jones could see the vacated title as a reason to dip his toe back into the water of active competition.
🇺🇸 Gable Steveson (4-0), partenaire d’entraînement de Jon Jones, donne son avis sur Ciryl Gane !
👀 Il parle aussi d’un potentiel retour du GOAT…
📺 L’UFC 331, c’est à suivre sur RMC Sport 1 dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche. pic.twitter.com/a6BJkUtxqW
— RMC Sport Combat (@RMCSportCombat) September 15, 2026
Gable Steveson discusses Jon Jones’ possible UFC return
“I think Ciryl Gane deserves (the undisputed title) he’s a fantastic fighter and he’s a guy that goes out there and he’s beating everybody besides the infinity stones of fighting, (Francis) Ngannou and Jon,” Steveson told RMC Sport Combat when asked about the state of the heavyweight division.
“I think Jon would like to come back also, maybe seeing this belt open up put another fire into him. Jon’s my training partner everyday in Albuquerque so I’ve seen what he can still do and I know he can do it at the highest level, and maybe his time will come again and I think it will,” Steveson added.
Quotes via Bloody Elbow
It’s easy for fans and pundits to dislike Jones as a result of some of the things he’s done in the past. Still, given the current state of the heavyweight division, the promotion would certainly benefit from having him back on the team – even if it’s only for one or two more bouts.