Over the weekend, we received hard confirmation that 2023 is the year Jon Jones returns to storm the UFC heavyweight division, hopefully to claim another belt for his outrageously decorated career.
The development comes to light almost three years after the Hall of Famer and GOAT candidate's last bout at UFC 247, recording a unanimous decision victory against Dominick Reyes, and immediately after the news that Francis Ngannous had been released from his own contract with the promotion - in addition to being stripped of the UFC heavyweight title.
RELATED: When Will Conor McGregor Return To The UFC For His Next Fight?
What exactly went down with Ngannou's contract negotiations?
“We’ve been negotiating with [Francis Ngannou] for more than two years,” explained UFC President Dana White, adding the outgoing heavyweight champion's knee - which recently required surgical intervention - could also be an issue.
“We offered Francis a deal that would’ve made him the highest-paid heavyweight in the history of the company – more than [Brock] Lesnar, more than anybody, and he turned the deal down.”
Perhaps the UFC's apex predator had been offered a far heftier sum to participate in a crossover bout against boxing-legend-in-the-making Tyson Fury.
RELATED: Francis Ngannou In Discussion To Join PFL, According To CEO
Back to the matter of Jonny Bones, the oft-controversial fighter and former two-time light heavyweight champion is currently scheduled to face yet another highly-technical athlete, Ciryl Gane, at UFC 285 (Las Vegas) on March 4th of this year; not Stipe Miocic, Curtis Blaydes, or Tai Tuivasa as many had believed. Potentially for the vacant heavyweight throne.
Dana White has revealed Jones has signed an eight-fight deal. Although given the latter's tendency for, shall we say, self-sabotage (read: substance-infused implosions and the occasional acts of assault), the fans will be lucky to see a handful of said fights actually fulfilled. Which is a damn shame considering the tremendous, generation-defining talent we're talking about here.
Jon Jones returns with a professional record of 26-1-1.
