Gable Steveson teases Jon Jones’ return at UFC 331 media day
UFC 331 is just days away, and as with every numbered event fight week, there is a media day where every fighter answers questions. The heavyweight division is one of, if not the, biggest storylines in MMA right now.
MORE: Tom Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight title: who should fight Ciryl Gane next?
This move leaves the heavyweight division wide open and leaves Ciryl Gane as the new undisputed heavyweight champion.
This marks the third UFC heavyweight champion in a row to lose the belt not in a fight, but by vacating it or leaving the promotion.
Francis Ngannou left the UFC after defending his title against Gane; Jon Jones won the title against Gane, then vacated it after beating 42-year-old Stipe Miocic. Lastly, Aspinall vacated because he was unable to compete after Gane poked Aspinall’s eyes, resulting in the fight ending and multiple eye surgeries for Aspinall.
Theres a common theme there: Gane being involved in some facet, and now he’s the champ. The question is who will face Gane for his first title defense. One of the UFC’s brightest prospects hinted at a UFC legend returning.
Jon Jones’ return is a real possibility
On Saturday, Gable Steveson opens the main card of UFC 331, fighting against Sean Sharaf. On Tuesday, Steveson spoke with RMC Sports Combat. In the interview, he spoke about the possibility of his teammate and UFC legend Jon Jones returning to the Octagon. Steveson’s quote is as follows.
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“I think Jon would like to come back also; you know, maybe seeing this belt open up put another fire into him. Jon’s my training partner every day in Albuquerque, so I’ve seen what he can still do, and I know he can do it at the highest level, and maybe his time will come again, and I think it will.”
If anyone knows where Jones’ head is at when it comes to returning, it’d be Steveson. The two fighters have trained together for years now, and Jones is still in the testing pool. That said, a Jones comeback would bring major controversy.
The ducking accusations would be at an all-time high for Jon Jones
Jon Jones’ heavyweight reign ended in awful fashion, as he held up the division for more than a year between fights. On top of that, the Stipe Miocic fight wasn’t necessary, because Aspinall was interim champion by then.
After the Miocic fight, Jones left his status up in the air, even though the Aspinall fight would’ve been gigantic. Jones even turned down a reported $30 million purse that would’ve come with the Aspinall fight. When that news broke, the entire MMA community thought the same thing: Jones never wants to step in the cage with Aspinall.
So if Jones all of a sudden comes back, then its just clear he wasn’t willing to risk his record by fighting Aspinall. The timing wouldn’t be coincidental; Aspinall’s speed and well-rounded game made it look, on paper, like the hardest matchup Jones would’ve ever fought, but the fight likely never happens.
Instead, it’s one of the biggest “what ifs” in MMA history.
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