Jon Jones has no scheduled fights, and Ben Askren advises fans not to expect one anytime soon.
Just three months ago, Jones headlined UFC 309, successfully defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in a long-anticipated but perhaps not highly demanded matchup.
Jones made quick work of the 42-year-old, who subsequently announced his retirement. However, the conversation surrounding UFC 309 largely centered on why the champion wasn’t facing his interim counterpart Tom Aspinall instead.
That fight still appears no closer to happening, and Askren is betting that "Bones" won’t be stepping back into the octagon anytime soon.
If there were Kalshi odds on does Jon Jones fight again, I believe it would be less than 50 percent,” Askren said on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. “I think it would be somewhere around 20, 30 percent that he fights again. I would say if there’s odds, I think it’s less than half that he ever fights again.
Though Jones has shown little interest in unifying the heavyweight titles with Aspinall, he has expressed openness to a superfight with Alex Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion. Pereira has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars, and a matchup between the two champions would undoubtedly generate widespread interest.
Besides Aspinall, the MMA legend's other frequently discussed opponent is former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. However, Askren believes that fight is highly unlikely due to Ngannou’s current contract with the PFL.
That one ain’t happening,” Askren said. “Obviously, I was outside of the UFC for a long time, and I always had the desire—yes, I would love to fight these guys—but I’m under no delusion that Dana White is going to do some type of co-promote or something because he just doesn’t do that. So the idea that Francis is going to fight Jon, that’s a pipe dream.
Askren further argued that a "Bones" vs. "Predator" fight could only happen if Ngannou returns to the UFC. Given that Ngannou left the promotion as champion in 2023 and has since secured a lucrative PFL contract that includes the freedom to pursue high-profile boxing matches, "Funky" doesn’t see that as likely.
The one thing I wanted to do, I wanted to try to be the best in the world, and I knew I couldn’t do that without fighting the right people,” Askren said. “Francis has already achieved that, so maybe he doesn’t feel the need.
“And Francis, I don’t think he’s lying—I don’t know that it’s debatable—but I believe he made significantly more money doing the boxing fights outside of the UFC. So if you’ve already proven you’re the best in the world, and listen, there was this Jon Jones thing because Jon Jones didn’t fight for a four-year window or whatever, but yeah, you already proved you’re the best in the world, go make a whole bunch more money. I think that’s great, but if he does want to fight Jon Jones, he’s going to have to come back.
For now, it remains unclear when or if Jones will return to the Octagon. But if Askren’s prediction is correct, fans may wait a long time.