It looks like Jon Jones’ return has begun in earnest.
The UFC heavyweight champion announced his return to training in a recent Instagram post. In the photo, Jones poses with coaches Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson.
“My first day back in the gym since my injury felt great,” Jones wrote. “That’s how it started.”
Jones was scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 295 in November, but suffered a torn pectoral muscle during training and was forced to withdraw from the bout. During his hiatus, Jones also opted to undergo surgery to remove some bone spurs in his left elbow.
Jones is expected to rebook the fight against Miocic in the coming months, but the date for that fight is still unknown. “Bones” returned from a three-year absence at UFC 285 and won the vacant heavyweight belt with a first-round submission of Cyril Gane in March 2023. Interim champion Tom Aspinall has been lobbying hard to challenge Jones, but it looks like he will have to wait until “Bones” and Miocic have a date in the Octagon.
Jones’ rehabilitation process has not been smooth sailing, as he is accused of threatening a drug tester from Drug Free Sports International while collecting a sample at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 30. . He used profanity during his statement to police, but denied threatening DFSI staff during the interaction.
