Jon Jones says he likely won't fight again but stays in UFC drug testing pool

Jon Jones said on Saturday, October 10, that he will probably never fight again, but that he is still in the UFC's drug-testing pool. A fan had asked him whether he was fighting again, and he answered on X:

"More than likely, I won't fight again, but as of right now I'm still getting drug tested. Leaving doors open, you never know what the future holds."

He named no opponent, date or weight class, MiddleEasy reported. Neither the UFC nor Dana White has responded, and no Jones fight is booked.

Jones has been tested four times in 2026, according to the UFC's drug-testing website, as reported by SB Nation and MiddleEasy. Retired fighters leave the testing programme. The UFC usually wants six months of testing before a comeback, though it can waive that, according to CBS Sports.

How we got here

This is not a new retirement or a new comeback. Jones, who is 28-1 with one no contest, announced his retirement on June 21, 2025, and was back in the testing pool that summer. The retirement scrapped a planned unification fight with interim champion Tom Aspinall, who was promoted in his place.

His last fight was a third-round TKO of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024, finished with a spinning back kick.

Left off the White House card in March, Jones said the UFC had "lowballed" him. He asked for his release, according to Cageside Press. White said Jones was never in his plans for that card. He also said Jones has arthritis in his hips and that "apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement," per Fox News.

In his March 9 statement, Jones confirmed the arthritis but said "that doesn't mean I can't fight." The UFC has not released him from his contract, LowKick MMA reported.

Jones called missing the White House card one of his big regrets, according to MiddleEasy. It cites an interview with The Schmo published the same day as his post. "I should have been there," he said. He also called the Miocic fight "my last moment inside the cage" and said that "if I never fight again, I'm pretty damn happy."

The heavyweight picture

Aspinall vacated the title on September 14 because of ongoing eye problems, Cageside Press reported. He has not fought since his October 2025 defence against Ciryl Gane ended in a no contest after an accidental eye poke. He says he is not retiring.

Gane won the interim belt by stopping Alex Pereira in the second round at the White House on June 14. White first said Gane would not be promoted automatically, then reversed himself at the UFC 331 press conference, MMASucka reported. Gane now defends against unbeaten Josh Hokit (10-0) at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on November 14, according to Cageside Press.

Pereira was the opponent Jones had said he wanted at the White House. Gane, now the champion, is one he has already beaten, by first-round submission in 2:04 on March 4, 2023. Jones closed a −182 favourite that night, about a 62% chance, according to our fighter page. Against Miocic he closed at −552 (81%). Those are the last prices the market put on him, and both had him clearly favoured.

Since the vacancy, the UFC has said nothing about a Jones return. The loudest push has come from Gable Steveson, who trains with Jones and had him in his corner at UFC 331. In September, Steveson said he thought Jones "would like to come back also," per MMASucka.

We think the testing matters more than the word "likely": he has been in the pool since summer 2025, so the six-month rule would not delay a return. Whether White would book him is a separate question.