Jon
Jones’ comeback appears to have begun in earnest.
The
UFC heavyweight champion announced his return to training in a
recent Instagram post. In the photo, Jones is posing with coaches
Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson, among others.
“First day back in the gym since my injury, felt amazing,” Jones
wrote. “And so it began.”
Jones was supposed to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe
Miocic in the UFC 295 main event this past November, but he was
forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a torn
pectoral in training. During his hiatus, Jones also elected to
undergo surgery on his left elbow to shave down some bone
spurs.
Jones is expected to be rebooked against Miocic in the coming
months, though a date for that bout remains unclear. “Bones”
returned from a three-year absence at UFC 285 to claim the vacant
heavyweight belt with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane
in March 2023. Interim champion Tom
Aspinall has lobbied hard for a shot at Jones, but it appears
he will have to wait until “Bones” and Miocic have their date in
the Octagon.
It has not been all smooth sailing for Jones during his
rehabilitation process, as he was accused of threatening
a drug-testing agent from Drug Free Sport International during
a sample collection at his Albuquerque, New Mexico, home on March
30. While Jones admitted to using profanity while giving a
statement to police, he
denied threatening the DFSI agents during the interaction.
