Well, that didn’t last long.
Less than a month ago, one of the most dominant champions in UFC history ceremonially laid down his gloves several months after he defended the organisation’s heavyweight title opposite former champ Stipe Miocic in New York City — an outcome that led to increased calls for Jones to defend his strap against the longtime interim champion, Tom Aspinall.
However, despite UFC boss Dana White’s efforts to arrange the Jones-Aspinall fight he declared as being the biggest heavyweight matchup in UFC history, Jones opted instead to relinquish his title and announce his retirement; a move which upgraded Aspinall’s interim crown to the real thing.
But speaking ahead of the ESPY’s this week, Jones admitted that his retirement will likely be a very brief one and said that he has begun preparations to feature on the mooted America 250 UFC fight card expected to take place on the grounds of the White House in Washington DC in July of next year
“I felt I was at a place where I had done it all in the MMA space. I felt like there wasn’t too many more challenges for me — I wanted to do something more than championships and money,” Jones said. “Donald Trump mentioned that he wanted to have a fight at the White House garden, and that just seems like such a huge opportunity.
“I am a very proud American. I have a lot of close friends that are in the military, and this is my act of…. I can’t call it service, but just to be able to entertain the country and the world at this level at the White House. It just means the world to me. So, I’m back.
“It’s been difficult and different,” he added of his apparently short-lived retirement. “Everything hurts. I’m a lot more sore than I ever remember being but I know this process very well. I’ve been winning championships my whole adult life. I know you gotta suffer, and I’m here to do that and make it worth it.”
Jones’ interest in appearing on the card mirrors that of Conor McGregor, who stated this week that he has re-entered the UFC’s drug-testing protocols ahead of also competing on next year’s card which, if it progresses as expected, promises to be perhaps the biggest in the organisation’s history.
