Jon Jones retired this week. Again.
On April 10, in an interview with Red Corner MMA, the 38-year-old former heavyweight champion declared himself done. "My gloves are hung up," he said. "No more Fighter Jon Jones."
The reason? Dana White left him off the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House on June 14. Jones had been lobbying hard for a spot on the historic event. He'd already started stem cell treatments. He was scheduling training camp. He came down from his asking price. The UFC, according to Jones, "lowballed" him. Dana White, according to everyone with eyes, never seriously considered putting him on the card.
So Jones did what Jones does. He went scorched earth. Announced retirement. Requested his contract release. Said the word "businessman" enough times to qualify for a LinkedIn premium account.
Then he showed up to UFC 327 in Miami approximately 22 hours later and watched Carlos Ulberg knock out Prochazka on one leg, watched Tatiana Suarez finish Loopy Godinez for the first time ever, watched three submissions land on one card — and suddenly the retirement evaporated.
"Being here at the UFC is giving me this fire that I haven't felt in a little bit," Jones told The Schmo. He'd already spoken with UFC executive Hunter Campbell. "I'm not sure if I'm retired or not."
So just to keep the timeline straight: retired on Thursday. Un-retired on Friday. The stem cells he took before the retirement apparently kicked in during the retirement.
Dana White's response was peak Dana. "How is that any different than Jon's been in the last 10 years?" he said. Then dropped the quote of the week: "I used to tell Lorenzo, 'You'll never be able to build a business with this guy, but when he does show up, it's fun.'"
Has he been talking to Jones about a return? "No."
This isn't Jones' first retirement. He vacated his light heavyweight title in 2020 and sat out three years. He officially retired in June 2025 — at which point Dana finally gave Tom Aspinall the undisputed heavyweight crown Jones had been holding hostage. Jones reportedly turned down $30 million to fight Aspinall before that. Then he came back. Then he retired again. Then he came back from the retirement he came back from.
The Aspinall unification fight — the one the entire sport wanted — appears permanently dead. Jones never wanted it. He wanted the White House card. He wanted the spectacle, not the challenge. When the spectacle said no thanks, he retired. When sitting cageside made him feel something again, he un-retired. The opponent was never the point.
Meanwhile, Jones is mentoring Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, who just signed with the UFC and headlines RAF 09 on May 30 against Alexandr Romanov. Jones has predicted Steveson will be a title contender by early 2027. Cormier — because this story wouldn't be complete without Cormier — publicly questioned whether Jones has the selflessness to actually coach anyone. Steveson told DC to mind his business.
So the greatest fighter in MMA history is currently coaching a prospect into the cage while simultaneously quitting and un-quitting the sport on a 24-hour news cycle.
Oh, and five days before the retirement announcement, Jones was filmed in an Albuquerque road rage confrontation with a 19-year-old who claimed Jones nearly hit his car three times. Jones got out, told the kid to "calm down, bro," flipped off the camera, then tweeted that he was "proud of myself for standing up for myself."
A 38-year-old heavyweight telling a teenager to calm down in a parking lot, then bragging about his restraint on social media. Five days later: retired. Six days later: not retired.
Nobody believes this one will stick. And honestly, why would they? Jones has cried wolf so many times the wolf is filing a restraining order.
The GOAT conversation can resume whenever he's ready. Right now, the man can't even commit to quitting.
Related Stories
Sources
- Jon Jones retires again after UFC White House snub: 'No more fighter Jones'
- Jon Jones walks back retirement after Hunter Campbell talk
- Jon Jones walks back retirement: 'I feel really good physically'
- Dana White reacts to Jon Jones saying UFC 327 'lit a fire'
- Jon Jones rejected $30M Tom Aspinall UFC fight
- Gable Steveson shuts down Cormier's advice about Jon Jones coaching
- Jon Jones road rage video
- Dana White breaks silence on Jon Jones' latest retirement U-turn
This post was generated by AI. Sources are linked above. Follow @bjj-problems on YouTube for the weekly video digest.